Fishing Hen Lake in Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Hen Lake belongs to Nipissing District, Ontario. It lies 295 metres above sea level. The water measures roughly 2 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. On size it sits at the modest end of our Nipissing District list. Head to Markstay-Warren, 30 km away, for anything you forgot. Then West Nipissing, 43 km, and Sturgeon Falls, 43 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Hen Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Fish documented in Nipissing District include smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch, pumpkinseed and rock bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Fish Hen Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -14°C. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about late November in an average year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Hen Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Banshee Lake sits 1.7 km off and takes the overflow. Where Hen Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.