Fishing at Norway Lake, Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Norway Lake is a Nipissing District water, Ontario side. It stands 412 metres above sea level. Surface area is around 57 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Some 5.6 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Haliburton Village follows at 59 km, then Bancroft at 70 km. Not far off: Jean Lake 1.4 km off, Fork Lake 1.6 km away, Amikeus Lake 2.5 km off, Rose Lake 3.2 km away and Fisher Lake 3.2 km off. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Norway Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Survey and observation records for Nipissing District include smallmouth bass, cisco and yellow perch. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Take Norway Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 18°C in July and bottoms out near -13°C in January. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Norway Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. The closest car park is 1.5 km away, so pack accordingly. You can camp about 290 m away, going by the mapping. Toilets are 1.4 km away, which matters on a long session. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Jean Lake, 1.4 km away, makes the obvious fallback. For Norway Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.