Boyce Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Within Nipissing District, Ontario, you have Boyce Lake. It stands 297 metres above sea level. The water covers around 2.72 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The bank runs about 28 km in total, split between open shore and sheltered corners. Few waters listed in Nipissing District are bigger. 42 km away sits Témiscaming, the nearest town. Further out sit Notre-Dame-du-Lac (45 km) and West Nipissing (56 km). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Boyce Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Nipissing District cover smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch, pumpkinseed and rock bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Boyce Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 18°C, the coldest about -15°C. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Boyce Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Chokecherry Lake sits 2.5 km off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Boyce Lake before loading the car.