Fishing West Thrush Lake in Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Nipissing District end of Ontario holds West Thrush Lake. The country here is rolling bush. At 4 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Nipissing District. For a base, Mattawa sits 53 km out. Further out sit Deep River (73 km) and Chalk River (74 km). The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on West Thrush Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Nipissing District, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, cisco and yellow perch. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. West Thrush Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 18°C, with January the cold end at about -13°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on West Thrush Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Lizz Lake, 1.4 km out. Confirm access to West Thrush Lake locally before you travel.