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

• Overview

  Maureen Lake is listed under Nipissing District, Ontario. Everything around it is pine and birch. It covers about 5 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Nipissing District standards. Start from Ville-Marie, 42 km down the road. Haileybury is 42 km and Temiskaming Shores 45 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Maureen Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across Nipissing District include smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch, pumpkinseed and rock bass. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Maureen Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -15°C in January to roughly 18°C in July. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. On average, late April opens the water and late November closes it again. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. It holds true on Maureen Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Alfreda Lake is 1.5 km distant. What applies at Maureen Lake may have changed since it was mapped.