Fishing Calumet Lake in Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Calumet Lake is one of the Nipissing District waters in Ontario. It stands 393 metres above sea level. With some 54 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. You are looking at roughly 5.5 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. Mattawa lies 49 km from the water. Powassan lies 63 km off, South River another 64 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Calumet Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Nipissing District records list smallmouth bass, cisco and yellow perch among the fish reported. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. At Calumet Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -13°C to 18°C. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Calumet Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A campsite is mapped about 620 m away, which makes an early start easier. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Cuckoo Lake at 1.6 km is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Calumet Lake.