Sandmartin Lake Fishing in Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Sandmartin Lake is set in Nipissing District, Ontario. It sits at 441 metres above sea level. With some 16 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 3.3 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Compared with other Ontario water on our list, it sits high. Barrie sits 175 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Sandmartin Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Nipissing District: smallmouth bass, cisco and yellow perch. The county list is broader than any single water. Sandmartin Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -13°C to 18°C. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. The season on Sandmartin Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Apukwa Lake at 1.4 km is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Sandmartin Lake if anything is unclear.