Fishing at Wicklow Lake, Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Ontario holds Wicklow Lake, in Nipissing District. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. With some 14 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The whole outline is near 2.4 km, and most of it is walkable. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Ontario listings. Head to Bancroft, 34 km away, for anything you forgot. Barrie is the closest city, 171 km away. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Wicklow Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Nipissing District records list smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch, pumpkinseed and rock bass among the fish reported. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Wicklow Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 18°C on average, January about -12°C. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Time your trip to Wicklow Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Ribgrass Lake, 1.1 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on Wicklow Lake should be assumed from this page alone.