North River Lake Fishing near Mattawa, Ontario

• Overview

  North River Lake lies in Nipissing District, in Ontario. Around the bank it is lake country bush. It measures some 2.38 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The perimeter runs near 16 km, so plan the walk before you start. On our Nipissing District list it sits near the top for size. Supplies mean a trip to Mattawa, 35 km off. Deep River is 69 km away, with Chalk River at 73 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on North River Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Nipissing District include smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch and pumpkinseed. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. North River Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -13°C in January and 18°C in July. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. The season on North River Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is a campsite 340 m from the water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Merganser Lake, 1.2 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about North River Lake if anything is unclear.