Fishing at Punch Lake, Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Nipissing District end of Ontario holds Punch Lake. Elevation runs to 423 metres. About 5 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It is a small entry by Nipissing District standards. For supplies, Powassan is 40 km out. For a city, Greater Sudbury is 175 km off. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Punch 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. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Nipissing District cover smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch, pumpkinseed and rock bass. The county list is broader than any single water. Fish Punch Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 18°C in July and bottoms out near -13°C in January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. It sets the rhythm of the year at Punch Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is a campsite 1.4 km from the water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Judy Lake, 0.6 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Punch Lake.