Nixon Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Nixon Lake stands in Cochrane District, Ontario. The land about it is taiga. It runs to roughly 11 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. There is roughly 1.5 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. It lies lower than most water we list in Ontario. Nearest town is Kapuskasing, 31 km off. Smooth Rock Falls lies 77 km off, Hearst another 85 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Nixon Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Cochrane District cover northern pike, yellow perch and white sucker. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Nixon Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -19°C to 17°C. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. On Nixon Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Kidney Lake is 2 km off. Where Nixon Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.