Weekly Lake Nipigon Blog
Lake Nipigon Weekly — Early August 2026 Seabass Outdoors
The fishing on Lake Nipigon in 2026 is phenomenal.
Water is extremely high — the highest I’ve seen in half a decade. I’d call it close to a foot above normal summer level. OPG’s gauges (Orient Bay and Wabinosh Bay average) have been sitting elevated through the season; mid-June readings were around 260.21 m and the lake has stayed high. That matches what we’re seeing on the water every day.
Right now the lake is prime for almost everything.
Whitefish are on every shoal and shallow point. Lake trout numbers are strong, though the average size is down roughly 4–5 lbs from the 2021–2022 peak. We’re seeing more fish overall, just fewer of the true giants. A few years back there was a stretch of skinny, poor-condition lake trout. That seems to have run its course — I haven’t been seeing those emaciated fish the last two seasons. The disease (or whatever it was) may have burned itself out with those fish. MNR was looking into it, but up here information stays locked away. Freedom-of-information requests have a way of drawing unwanted attention.
Walleye took a hard hit in the 1990s from overfishing and commercial pressure until the commercial ban. They’ve come back hard. We’ve had multiple trips with fish pushing 14+ lbs and plenty over 30 inches. These fish move more than any other species on the lake.
Brook trout are in a special window. The last five or six years the average open-water fish has been 19–20 inches, with lots of 24-inchers and better. They’re near peak right now. I’m sad to say the downturn is coming. Smallmouth bass have found their way into Lake Nipigon and they’re not leaving. Locals have been trying to knock them back by filling coolers, but selective harvest just leaves the smarter, harder-to-catch fish with more food and less competition. That makes the survivors stronger and more likely to spread.
Smallmouth were stocked in the 1930s and failed. This time they came in through the southwestern end after a beaver dam failed, linking feeder lakes that already held bass. They’re highly territorial, especially on the spawn, and they compete directly with walleye, pike, and brook trout for the same real estate. Brook trout are territorial too, but they’re not as durable. When the two mix, bass usually win. They’re considered invasive here.
Brown trout are the other non-native that’s been around for decades. They stay mostly on the west side in a few feeder creeks and rivers, then move out once they’re bigger looking for more food. Fish over 18 lbs showed up in the early 2000s.
Smelt are abundant. Lake Nipigon also holds several cisco (herring) forms — including some that are rare or gone from most of the Great Lakes. We’ve pulled giant herring (3 lbs and up) out of lake trout and pike stomachs more than once.
Pike are in excellent shape and, size-wise, some of the best in North America. The downside is pressure. Reliable, powerful outboards mean more boats reaching more water. The big old fish are fragile, especially around the spawn. Barbless hooks and keeping them in the water as much as possible make a real difference. Once surface temperatures push past 65°F I ease off them — they’re tougher fighters than they are survivors. We’ve also seen tape worms in both walleye and pike in the spring shallow bays.
Burbot are plentiful and can be targeted effectively in open water and through the ice.
More to come next week.
— Seabass Outdoors
