Wonassay Lake in Nipissing District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Wonassay Lake sits in Nipissing District, out in Ontario. It sits in rolling bush country. It covers about 3 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Nipissing District standards. The nearest place of any size is Deep River, 59 km away. The big place round here is Gatineau, 198 km distant. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Wonassay Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Nipissing District records list smallmouth bass, cisco and yellow perch among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The near bank of Wonassay Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 18°C; the cold one sits at -13°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The season between ice runs from about late April to late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Wonassay Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in 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. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Fin Lake, 1.1 km away. Check the position on Wonassay Lake before loading the car.