Little Mississagagon Lake Fishing near Sharbot Lake, Ontario

• Overview

  The Frontenac County end of Ontario holds Little Mississagagon Lake. The bank is 269 metres above sea level. Roughly 20 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Shoreline comes to about 2.8 km, small enough to learn in a day. For supplies, Sharbot Lake is 30 km out. Tweed lies 52 km off, Madoc another 56 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Little Mississagagon Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Frontenac County cover pumpkinseed, bluegill, rock bass and smallmouth bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Little Mississagagon Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 19°C, with January the cold end at about -11°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Little Mississagagon Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Woods Lake is 0.8 km off. Confirm access to Little Mississagagon Lake locally before you travel.