Fishing at Old Bill Lake, Timiskaming District, Ontario

• Overview

  Old Bill Lake is a Timiskaming District water, in Ontario. It lies 287 metres above sea level. Roughly 26 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Around 3.4 km of margin, front to back. Temiskaming Shores is the closest place, 44 km off. Haileybury lies 49 km off, Englehart another 57 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Old Bill Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Timiskaming District records list brook trout, northern pike and yellow perch among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Old Bill Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 18°C at the top of summer and -16°C at the bottom of winter. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about late November in an average year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It sets the rhythm of the year at Old Bill Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Bessie Lake, 1.2 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing here settles the position at Old Bill Lake for certain.