Hillcrest Lake Fishing Guide, Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Hillcrest Lake is a Nipissing District water, in Ontario. The water sits 419 metres up. Small at around 7 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Our Nipissing District list holds plenty of bigger water. For supplies, Mattawa is 60 km out. For a city, Barrie is 188 km off. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Hillcrest Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Nipissing District include smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch, pumpkinseed and rock bass. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Hillcrest Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -13°C in January and 18°C in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Plan any trip to Hillcrest Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Mud Turtle Lake is 1.2 km off. Signs at Hillcrest Lake carry more weight than any list.