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

• Overview

  Look for Loonskin Lake in Nipissing District, Ontario. Elevation runs to 340 metres. The water covers some 60 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The perimeter runs near 5.2 km, so plan the walk before you start. Chalk River is the closest town at 47 km. After that come Deep River at 48 km and Petawawa at 56 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Loonskin Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Public occurrence data for Nipissing District names smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch, pumpkinseed and rock bass. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Read Loonskin Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -13°C in January up to 18°C in July. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Loonskin Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping shows a campsite some 280 m from the water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Gross Lake is 2.5 km off. None of that is settled for Loonskin Lake in what we hold.