Little Clear Lake in Nipissing District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Nipissing District end of Ontario holds Little Clear Lake. Height above sea level is 224 metres. Surface area runs to about 7 hectares — small enough to read in one session. The bank runs about 2.2 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Nipissing District. For supplies, Sturgeon Falls is 31 km out. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 99 km distant. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Little Clear Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Species logged across Nipissing District include smallmouth bass, cisco and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The near bank of Little Clear Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 19°C and January at -12°C. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about early December in an average year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. At Little Clear Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Stinking Lake, 0.9 km out. Ask locally about Little Clear Lake if anything is unclear.