McGarvey Lake Fishing in Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  McGarvey Lake lies in Nipissing District, in Ontario. The ground round it is rolling bush. Surface area is around 87 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. With 15 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. It is among the larger waters listed here for Nipissing District. For a city, Barrie is 144 km off. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on McGarvey Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Open biodiversity records for Nipissing District list smallmouth bass, cisco and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On McGarvey Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -12°C and July at about 18°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Expect McGarvey Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Overnight stays are possible 180 m away. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lemon Lake at 1.1 km is the sensible second choice. For McGarvey Lake in particular, ask before you travel.