Sims Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Sims Lake stands in Nipissing District, Ontario. It sits at 472 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to about 4 hectares — small enough to read in one session. It is a small entry by Nipissing District standards. Head to United Townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde, 49 km away, for anything you forgot. After that come Huntsville at 53 km and South River at 62 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Sims Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Open biodiversity records for Nipissing District list smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch, pumpkinseed and rock bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Sims Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -13°C in January up to 18°C in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It sets the rhythm of the year at Sims Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Raven Lake is 1.7 km distant. Confirm before you fish Sims Lake.