Fishing Little Burnt Lake in Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Nipissing District, Ontario, this is Little Burnt Lake. It lies 397 metres above sea level. It runs to roughly 10 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The full circuit measures close to 1.7 km on foot. The nearest place of any size is Mattawa, 23 km away. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 193 km distant. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Little Burnt Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Nipissing District records list smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch and pumpkinseed among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Little Burnt Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 18°C and January near -14°C on the long-run figures. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That shapes the year on Little Burnt Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Rainy Lake sits 2.8 km off and takes the overflow. The position on Little Burnt Lake is worth confirming on the day.