Small Lake Fishing in Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Small Lake sits within Nipissing District in Ontario. This is pine and birch ground. The water measures roughly 6 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. On size it sits at the modest end of our Nipissing District list. United Townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde is the closest town at 38 km. Barrie is the closest city, 138 km away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Small Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch, pumpkinseed and rock bass. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Small Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -12°C in January up to 18°C in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The lid tends to go about late April and return around late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Anyone fishing Small Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. There is camping recorded roughly 1 km off. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Bluebell Lake is 0.8 km distant. Nothing here settles the position at Small Lake for certain.