Lonesome Lake in Nipissing District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Nipissing District end of Ontario holds Lonesome Lake. The surface lies 465 metres up. This is a pocket water of some 4 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Nipissing District. United Townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde sits 48 km from here and is the nearest stop. The big place round here is Barrie, 178 km distant. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lonesome Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Nipissing District records list smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch and pumpkinseed among the fish reported. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Lonesome Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 18°C; by January the average is down near -13°C. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Climate figures give an open season running late April to late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lonesome Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Mallard Lake is 0.5 km distant. Where Lonesome Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.