Fishing at Little Clear Lake, Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Nipissing District end of Ontario holds Little Clear Lake. Elevation runs to 452 metres. Around 20 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. The edge runs 2.9 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It sits higher than most water we list in Ontario. After that come Haliburton Village at 44 km and Bancroft at 53 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Little Clear Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Nipissing District include smallmouth bass, cisco and yellow perch. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. At Little Clear Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 18°C; by January the average is down near -12°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate figures give an open season running late April to late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Anyone fishing Little Clear Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows a campsite some 1.4 km from the water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Upper Dwyer Lake sits 0.8 km off and takes the overflow. Treat Little Clear Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.