Bootee Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Nipissing District, Ontario, sits Bootee Lake. It sits at 314 metres above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 4 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Nipissing District list. Chalk River lies 42 km from the water. Gatineau sits 176 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Bootee Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Nipissing District list smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch, pumpkinseed and rock bass. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Work Bootee Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 18°C at the top of summer and -13°C at the bottom of winter. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Bootee Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Jocko Lake, 0.6 km out. Confirm access to Bootee Lake locally before you travel.