Number One Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Nipissing District, Ontario, this is Number One Lake. The bank is 197 metres above sea level. It runs to roughly 88 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. With 8.2 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Size puts it in the front rank of our Nipissing District list. Start from Sturgeon Falls, 23 km down the road. Greater Sudbury is the closest city, 76 km away. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Number One Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Nipissing District records list smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch and pumpkinseed among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Number One Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -13°C in January and 19°C in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly early December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It sets the rhythm of the year at Number One Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Number Two Lake, 1.5 km away. What applies at Number One Lake may have changed since it was mapped.