Merchant Lake Fishing Guide, Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Merchant Lake is a Nipissing District water, Ontario side. Land around it is rolling bush. At 4.51 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. The outline measures near 13 km, so local knowledge counts. It ranks high for size among our Nipissing District listings. Mattawa lies 62 km from the water. The nearest city of size is Barrie, 176 km away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Merchant Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Nipissing District records list smallmouth bass, cisco and yellow perch among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Merchant Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 18°C and January near -13°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. On Merchant Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. You can camp 750 m off, which suits an early start. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Chickaree Lake, 1.4 km away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Merchant Lake may have changed since it was mapped.