David Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  David Lake sits in Nipissing District, out in Ontario. It stands 299 metres above sea level. At about 11 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The bank runs about 2.1 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. The town to know is Markstay-Warren, 50 km out. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 78 km distant. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on David Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. 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. On David Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -15°C in January up to 18°C in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. That is the shape of the year on David Lake.

• 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 built is recorded close to the bank here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Pat Lake, 0.8 km away. Check the current arrangement for David Lake.