Fishing Little Otterslide Lake in Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Nipissing District end of Ontario holds Little Otterslide Lake. What surrounds it is pine and birch. It measures some 1.38 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. At about 11 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. On our Nipissing District list it sits near the top for size. The nearest city of size is Barrie, 165 km away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Little Otterslide Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Nipissing District records list smallmouth bass, cisco and yellow perch among the fish reported. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Little Otterslide Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 18°C, while January sits near -13°C. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. The open-water window runs from around late April to about late November in an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan any trip to Little Otterslide Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. You can camp about 150 m away, going by the mapping. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Crossbill Lake is 2.7 km off. Check the position at Little Otterslide Lake before loading the car.