Fishing at Dry Lake, Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Nipissing District, Ontario, is where Dry Lake sits. The surroundings are lake country bush. It runs to roughly 89 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The bank runs about 4.7 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Size puts it in the front rank of our Nipissing District list. Supplies mean a trip to Temiskaming Shores, 55 km off. Haileybury lies 59 km off, Englehart another 70 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Dry Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. 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. Fish documented in Nipissing District include smallmouth bass, cisco and yellow perch. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Dry Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 17°C in July and bottoms out near -16°C in January. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near mid November in autumn. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. On Dry Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Katherine Lake, 1.6 km out. Confirm before you fish Dry Lake.