Lake Nipissing Water Level

[Jonny]

The attached picture shows Lake Nipissing as of today. The brown areas are sand flats, normally covered by about 2 to 3 feet of water during the summer.

 

The current level by itself is not a cause for concern. The concern is that there is no snow left in the bush, like there normally is.

 

With so little run-off still to come into the lake, and the fact that a steady outflow has to be maintained for the French River, we could be in for low water levels all summer.

[Fisherman]

Time to go beach combing, never know what you might find.

[walleyejigger]

that's scary, i think were gonna be in for a real shock this summer with low waters in our lakes and dry ground in our woods, i have a feeliing we will be spending most of the summer with a fire ban,

 

it's nice to have a winter with little snow but we pay for it later

[Muskieman]

Crazy isn't it?.... No snow left in the bush and whatever ice there is left to melt in the watershed will not help much with the water levels.

 

The Sturgeon River is at least 5 feet low.. My Walleye rock pile that usually sits in 5-7 feet of water is 85% dry.

There are a lot of lodge owners on the north shore of Nip.that will not be able to moor their rental boats or even offer a launch for their guests if this keeps up.

We need 40 days and 40 nights and forget about building an arc... It's

just gonna fill the ditches.

 

I foresee the fish being easier to find but I'm gonna carry a spare prop with me at all times 'til the water rises... if it does.

 

RFS

[johnnyb]

WOW!! That is crazy...time for beachcombing indeed!

[LucG]

That is crazy!...I hope we are all wrong...lol Some of the places we launched were shallow enough.

[bigugli]

We need a very wet spring across the province.

[Ron]

Things might look bad at the moment but I bet the water levels will still come up by the season opener.

 

*Note to self* - go to Sturgeon Falls and find the rock that is 85% exposed for a great walleye spot.

[Terry]

grass and things will start growing there bugs and what not will start living there

when the levels come back up fishing will be better then ever

 

you just need to look at the bright side..............

[Muskieman]

 

*Note to self* - go to Sturgeon Falls and find the rock that is 85% exposed for a great walleye spot.

 

Randy

[Daplumma]

Will be bringing the jet boat up there to the GTG in june.Only need 4 inches of water in plane.The pike tourney is ours cause the prop boats won't be able to get to the good spots!

Joe

[Jonny]

Things might look bad at the moment but I bet the water levels will still come up by the season opener.

 

Like I said, it's not particularly unusual that the water level is low right now --- it often is at this time of year. However, if I'm judging it correctly the strongest spring run-off is already over, when usually it hasn't even peaked yet. We have NO snow left in the bush, and in all of March so far we have had ONE day of light rain!

 

Other people who have been living at the lake longer than I have are worried as well.

[Dara]

Like I said, it's not particularly unusual that the water level is low right now --- it often is at this time of year. However, if I'm judging it correctly the strongest spring run-off is already over, when usually it hasn't even peaked yet. We have NO snow left in the bush, and in all of March so far we have had ONE day of light rain!

 

Other people who have been living at the lake longer than I have are worried as well.

 

 

Is it gonna adversely affect the walleye fishing in front of North bay this may opener?

I plan on fishing then with my daughter and don't want to be bummed out.

 

It hasn't rained a drop here yet either...like a winter drought

[Jonny]

Is it gonna adversely affect the walleye fishing in front of North bay this may opener?

I plan on fishing then with my daughter and don't want to be bummed out.

It hasn't rained a drop here yet either...like a winter drought

 

"Here" I think for you is the Soo, right?

 

I don't fish all that close to North Bay so I'm just guessing, but I think that as long as you can make it out through shallow water near the shore, the pickerel will be doing what they always do, just maybe in different spots because of the lower water levels. Your depth finder will be your best friend.

 

Here where I am, I'm mentally preparing myself for insufficient water to launch my 16' fiberglass boat, and hoping that my 15' aluminum won't be too much trouble to get out. The picture in the lead-off post is taken from my front deck; from that you can get an idea of what we might have to contend with. I'm keeping my fingers crossed though, and trying to hang on to some optimism!

[Double What??]

Hi all,

 

For what it's worth, the water level on Nipissing this past Monday was 6cm (just under 2.5 inches) higher than it was on Monday, March 23/09 and is trending sharply upward (yes, I track it. Sick... I know! ).

 

Of course, the big difference this year is the lack of snow this season so... we'll see how it goes. I do recall the water levels early last season being very high.

 

DW

[Jonny]

For what it's worth, the water level on Nipissing this past Monday was 6cm (just under 2.5 inches) higher than it was on Monday, March 23/09 and is trending sharply upward

 

Thanks for the info, DW.

 

I looked up a graph which illustrates what worries me.

 

Apparently the current inflow is above the long term average but that is because normally the heavy melt is usually just beginning, whereas this year I think that the melt (such as it has been) has already taken place. Looking at the steepest rise in lake level for 2009 (corresponding to the heaviest inflow), it was about the first week of April 2009. I tried going back to 2008 for more comparison but the graph wouldn't load.

 

I'm afraid that what we'll see this year is almost a "flat-lining" of the lake level. The dam at Sturgeon Falls only has one chute open, and if I recall correctly the Sturgeon River accounts for about 60-70% of all inflow. Duchesnay Creek's usual spectacular waterfall is a fraction of what it usually is when the spring runoff is heavy, and it's already diminishing. There's no more snow in the bush. I think the heaviest inflow is already over.

 

Click to enlarge:

 

Edited March 24, 2010 by Jocko

[John the Fisherman]

I am begining to think this may affect walleye spawning. There will be (is) little run off for the spawn to occur. The walleye could suspend their spawn for the year, as they may not be ready to spawn at the time when run off is highest.

As for fire season. If I was still working fire I would be counting on having a good summer making some coin. Fire rangers think the opposite of the general public as far as forest fires are concerned. Let er burn.

[TroutnMuskieHunter]

Here's a good site to monitor water levels...jsut select your Province and then body of water that you're interested in...

 

http://scitech.pyr.ec.gc.ca/waterweb/formnav.asp?lang=0

Edited March 24, 2010 by TroutnMuskieHunter

[Jonny]

Here's a good site to monitor water levels...jsut select your Province and then body of water that you're interested in...

 

http://scitech.pyr.e...mnav.asp?lang=0

 

Thanks, TMH, that's the site that I got the graph from. It's very useful for recent conditions, but disappointingly it only gives active graphs for the lake for this year and last year.

[Jonny]

I stopped at the Duchesnay Falls today to take a couple of pictures.

 

The water in summer only comes down a western falls, but in spring it opens up a channel to an eastern falls as well.

 

In spring the western falls is usually a raging torrent for a few weeks, and the eastern falls has a LOT of water coming over it as well. But right now, the western falls is already tailing off, and the eastern falls has almost dried up.

 

Western falls today (March 24th):

 

Edited March 24, 2010 by Jocko

[Jonny]

Eastern falls today (March 24th):

 

 

This should normally be at a rolling boil around this time.

[Bernie]

It looks like a banner year for prop rebuilders at this point in time around here.

We may be in trouble.

[irishfield]

Temagami is apparently a foot or more lower than usual for this time of year... but I'm told there is still lots of snow North of Diamond Lake up in the higher ground, so hopefully that will top Temag up and it will come down the river into Nippissing in time.

[Jonny]

Temagami is apparently a foot or more lower than usual for this time of year... but I'm told there is still lots of snow North of Diamond Lake up in the higher ground, so hopefully that will top Temag up and it will come down the river into Nippissing in time.

 

I hope you're right and that the upper part of the drainage basin still has a significant supply of run-off. But we need the lake to rise about a meter, which is a hell of a volume of water for a big lake like Nipissing.

[Muskieman]

I hope you're right and that the upper part of the drainage basin still has a significant supply of run-off. But we need the lake to rise about a meter, which is a hell of a volume of water for a big lake like Nipissing.

 

I hope you're right and not my brother in law... he was up to KL and Temag today and stopped in after supper apparently the creeks and rivers are low up there as well and the snow is very crystal like the deepest spot he found was about 4" not a good sign WE NEED RAIN!! .

 

My Walleye rock-pile is now exposed 90% Sturgeon River dropped another 6" or more... the 1 and only gate that was opened is now closed and

Generation Station is running @ 50%... I hope that they're trying to hold back some water for later.

RFS