Fishing at Upper Kawa Lake, Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Nipissing District, Ontario, is where Upper Kawa Lake sits. Lake country bush runs right down to the water. Roughly 16 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 1.9 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. The nearest place of any size is Powassan, 37 km away. Mattawa lies 41 km off, South River another 42 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Upper Kawa Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Nipissing District list smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch, pumpkinseed and rock bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Treat Upper Kawa Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -13°C. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. On Upper Kawa Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is a campsite 110 m from the water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Kawa Lake at 0.7 km is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Upper Kawa Lake.