Fishing at Modder Lake, Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Nipissing District, Modder Lake is an Ontario water. It stands 319 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to about 8 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Our Nipissing District list holds plenty of bigger water. 22 km away sits Témiscaming, the nearest town. For a city, Greater Sudbury is 126 km off. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Modder Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Nipissing District include smallmouth bass, cisco and yellow perch. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Modder Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -14°C and July at about 18°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Modder Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Raft Lake is 1.6 km off. For Modder Lake in particular, ask before you travel.