Fishing Ponemah Lake in Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Ponemah Lake falls in Nipissing District, part of Ontario. Rolling bush runs right down to the water. Surface area runs to about 2 hectares — small enough to read in one session. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Nipissing District. The town to know is South River, 46 km out. For a city, Barrie is 164 km off. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Ponemah Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Nipissing District list smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch and pumpkinseed. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Ponemah Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 18°C and January at -12°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Ponemah Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. A campsite is mapped about 1.2 km away, which makes an early start easier. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Dymond Lake at 1.8 km is the sensible second choice. Rules at Ponemah Lake are worth checking on the day.