Macpherson Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Macpherson Lake lies in Nipissing District, Ontario. Height above sea level is 348 metres. It runs to roughly 80 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The perimeter runs near 10 km, so plan the walk before you start. Size puts it in the front rank of our Nipissing District list. The town to know is Temiskaming Shores, 55 km out. Then Haileybury, 59 km, and Englehart, 67 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Macpherson Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Across Nipissing District, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch, pumpkinseed and rock bass. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Macpherson Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 17°C at the top of summer and -16°C at the bottom of winter. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Time your trip to Macpherson Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Stonehenge Lake is 2.6 km off. Confirm before you fish Macpherson Lake.