Fishing Spruce Lake in Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Spruce Lake falls in Nipissing District, part of Ontario. This is pine and birch ground. At roughly 9 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Shoreline comes to about 1.9 km, small enough to learn in a day. Petawawa is the closest place, 51 km off. The big place round here is Gatineau, 164 km distant. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Spruce Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Nipissing District include smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch and pumpkinseed. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Read Spruce Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 18°C; the cold one sits at -13°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Time your trip to Spruce Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Hoist Lake is 0.4 km off. Ask locally about Spruce Lake if anything is unclear.