Fishing Holdridge Lake in Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Look for Holdridge Lake in the Nipissing District part of Ontario. The setting is mixed forest. Around 48 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. There is roughly 4.4 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. For a base, West Nipissing sits 33 km out. Then Sturgeon Falls, 33 km, and North Bay, 41 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Holdridge Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Nipissing District include smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch, pumpkinseed and rock bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of Holdridge Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 18°C and January near -14°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late November in autumn. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It holds true on Holdridge Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Public data records a pier about 320 m out. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Turcotte Lake is 4.4 km distant. The position on Holdridge Lake is worth confirming on the day.