Little Nelson Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Little Nelson Lake sits within District Municipality of Muskoka in Ontario. What surrounds it is lake country bush. About 7 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. On size it sits at the modest end of our District Municipality of Muskoka list. The closest town, Huntsville, is 26 km distant. The big place round here is Barrie, 133 km distant. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Little Nelson Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in District Municipality of Muskoka include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and rock bass. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Little Nelson Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 18°C, the coldest about -12°C. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. The lid tends to go about late April and return around late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. On Little Nelson Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. 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. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, South Nelson Lake is 1.4 km off. Nothing on Little Nelson Lake should be assumed from this page alone.