Fishing at Ghost Lake, Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  You will find Ghost Lake in Nipissing District, Ontario. It sits in rolling bush. Roughly 22 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The full circuit measures close to 3.8 km on foot. The nearest town is Mattawa, 36 km away. It is 203 km to Greater Sudbury, the nearest city. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Ghost Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Open biodiversity records for Nipissing District list smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch, pumpkinseed and rock bass. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. On Ghost Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 18°C at the top of summer and -13°C at the bottom of winter. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. On average, late April opens the water and late November closes it again. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It holds true on Ghost Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. You can camp 290 m off, which suits an early start. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Peboan Lake at 1.6 km is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Ghost Lake before loading the car.