Fishing Nellem Lake in Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Nellem Lake sits in Nipissing District, out in Ontario. Elevation runs to 324 metres. It runs to roughly 20 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The shoreline runs about 6.1 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Haileybury is the closest town at 46 km. It is 104 km to Greater Sudbury, the nearest city. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Nellem Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Nipissing District, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, cisco and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Nellem Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 18°C and January near -16°C on the long-run figures. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. From about late April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Nellem Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. If the gate is shut, Chambers Lake at 0.9 km is the nearest alternative. Check the position at Nellem Lake before loading the car.