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

• Overview

  The Nipissing District entry here is McGuire Lake, in Ontario. The water sits 294 metres up. Roughly 81 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The margin runs to about 5.8 km in total. Few waters listed in Nipissing District are bigger. The nearest town is Petawawa, 48 km away. The big place round here is Gatineau, 160 km distant. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on McGuire Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Nipissing District include smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch and pumpkinseed. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On McGuire Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 18°C for July and -13°C for January. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Open water usually runs from late April until about early December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Time your trip to McGuire Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Oram Lake sits 1.9 km off and takes the overflow. Rules at McGuire Lake are worth checking on the day.