Provincial park shore fishing

[mbkitpro]

Looking to book a camp site at a provincial for mid August. Any recommendations for a park with good shore fishing opportunities? Or a lake near the park with good shore fishing opportunities? Looking to staying within 5 hours or so to Toronto.

Looking to target bass and or pike.

Thanks!

[CeeDee]

You should check on site availability at the provincial parks - many are booked solid currently.

[Aquaneko]

(07-31-2017 11:03 PM)mbkitpro Wrote:  Looking to book a camp site at a provincial for mid August. Any recommendations for a park with good shore fishing opportunities? Or a lake near the park with good shore fishing opportunities? Looking to staying within 5 hours or so to Toronto.

Looking to target bass and or pike.

Thanks!

Sibbald Point in Jacksons Point, Lake Simcoe

Also Bonnie Boats (left side down Marlone ) in Jacksons Point are close and have good fishing.

Sibbald you have to pay to enter. IIRC from talking with the staff on the phone a couple weeks ago when I was there for the free fishing event and free day pass entrance the day parking is $20. The long pier takes you into deeper water and the shallow water by the boat house I've been told is good for bassing.

On Marlone it is paid parking (but you can avoid that by staying close to the car, $4/hr) and the parking guys come twice a day AFAIK/observed. Normally after 19:00 they don't come anymore.

At this location you can fish the shallows as well as walk to the 4th wave breaker on the left ride as it is only knee deep and the shallow water extends around the breaker so if you want to walk around with the kids to play in the water (AFAIK, water there is safe for swimming/scuba as I've seen both happen there a few times). At the 4th breaker casting outwards about 15ft out the waters drop about 8-10ft. The other breakers are accessible but about shoulder deep in water so if you don't want to get fully wet the 4th breaker is good. The space between the breakers have railway ties extending out like 20meters out and the space between the breakers is a goby nest in there tho perch do show up in the deep pocket in front of the 4th breaker.

If you do go to the breakers I recommend paying for a parking ticket because you won't make it back fast enough before the parking enforcement tickets you.If you are on land near the car and see the parking enforcement guys coming to you then you can quickly move or leave then come back a few minutes later when the parking enforcement guys have left. However the parking enforcement guys are chill and fair. Some guys fish as well when I spoke with them. They will give you a chance to leave your gear to go and buy a ticket then come back and not ticket you.

Unlike Toronto's parking enforcement which you try and give as many tickets as fast as possible and so brazen as I've heard to take a photo of the car leaving so they can have the ticket written. From experience let me say there is no expired parking ticket small fee like in Toronto where it is something like $10-15 (forgot). In Simcoe it is $50 for no ticket and/or expired ticket. Don't launch a boat without buying a ticket. I remember talking with some guy before when fishing at Rouge Beach he got dinged while out on the water for IIRC an expired ticket or no ticket.

[BeamRGB]

My experience in provincial parks for shore fishing and occasionally on canoe/sup.

Around Simcoe Lake:

Sibbald Point PP - we've camped in this park with the group several time ~10 years ago. I had own luck with rock basses and panfishes; witnessed how others caught a nice bass and a cat near the ramp. Later visited park for a day almost every year spring/summer/fall. Though fishing was getting worse and worse. Last Sunday - just gobies and small perches. I put a cross not to go there for awhile.

Mcrae PP - quite shallow around the park. Small ramp. Though not that busy as Sibbald as it is further to go. During summer I waded till waste and caught perches.

Mara PP - as I remember a very short strip of water and it's a beach.

Going East to Toronto:
Darlington PP - with access to Lake Ontario - only day visits, never fished. There is a pond or a lagoon maybe with carps

Persquile PP - a nice park. Fishing - no luck with big ones. West side is quite open to the lake, and it could be rough. East side is like a bay, there is a government dock.

Sand Banks PP - a busy busy park. There are private campgrounds around and people go to sand dunes of the park. Have not tried fishing yet, probably there are opportunities in the West Lake. In case you'll have time go and visit a Lake on the Mountain PP to learn about wonderful geology.

North East:

Emily PP - a small park. We camped once long time ago. As I remember the river/bay had troubles with a carp disease at that time. You can rent canoe and go even to Pigeon Lake. Though there were spots for share fishing too.

Bon Echo PP - a nice park. It could be busy too. A lot of opportunities for fishing offshore too.

Silent Lake PP - a nice remote park. We camped in a walk-in place. A lot of great places to fish alone or with kids. Canoe gets into remote and weedy spots for basses. No motor boats. One remark - a park is very rocky, be careful when selecting the site. Some could be not great with kids as you might worry they can slip and fall of the cliff.

Balsam lake PP - one of our favorite - we go for a day and camp once a year - a nice beach, a playground for kids, possibility to rent a canoe or kayak. Several spots for offshore fishing too. Some years were better than other. What could be better of a fog, a loonie, and a fishing rod on the rising sun

West on Lake Huron:

Pinery PP - a big park with many sandy/gravel beaches. Through the park goes an Old Ausable Channel with possibility to fish from bridges - one close by the park store and canoe rental - a daughter and many other kids had a great time with small fishes. Other bridge on the other side of the park gave possibility for basses, a pike, and it looked like carps were swimming around too. An old snapping turtle came several time for a visit too.

MacGregor Point PP - no fishing unless to go outside the park to Saugeen river (never done), though saw in one spot a lot of people.

Sauble Falls PP - some campsites are on the river. I had a habit to catch one bass each morning in the same spot for a week and probably the same due to C&R. After going to the beach, we would stop to fish at the river mouth - full of basses.

On Georgian Bay

Awenda PP - a nice park with rocky beaches. The small in-park lake has spots for fishing.

Killbear PP - a huge park with everything. Evenings for trouts.

North

Bass Lake PP - a small park. It has a ramp with a bridge for good panfishing for kids.

Arrowhead PP - enough spaces for offshore fishing for basses and other panfish. Though canoe/kayak would open more opportunities. I used a stand up paddle board (sup) to go around the lake with a great success for basses this year.

North West:

Six Miles PP - requires some wading to get off the shore and trees - pike and bass.

Grundy PP - looked that small pikes were everywhere like panfish in other parks

without a direction:

Earl Rowe PP - the lake water is far from crystal clean (thus the park has outdoor pool though a lot of spots for fishing. Took a canoe and went down where the river clears up - saw carps swimming there. Maybe some of them are in the lake too.

[Haroutkokedjianfishing]

Six Mile PP might be your best shot if you're doing a day trip. Another great thing about it is that it has canoe rentals if you want to get off shore.

[Thebassmaster]

Sanbanks park should have good fishing in east and west lake, aswell as in the river

[mengsky]

(03-21-2019 09:56 PM)Thebassmaster Wrote:  Sanbanks park should have good fishing in east and west lake, aswell as in the river

Anyone tried Indian Point PP at Balsam Lake? Is shore fishing allowed in the area?

[Fossil Fish]

Indian Point is a non-operating park, so there are no facilities and camping is prohibited. The western shoreline of the park looks to be mostly full of cottages, and has the only road which ends near the southern tip. There is no access to the east side except by boat or maybe off-road vehicle. I guess if you can find a spot, you can fish there, but I wouldn't expect too much from shore besides perch, panfish and the occasional bass.

[mengsky]

(03-26-2019 12:46 PM)Fossil Fish Wrote:  Indian Point is a non-operating park, so there are no facilities and camping is prohibited. The western shoreline of the park looks to be mostly full of cottages, and has the only road which ends near the southern tip. There is no access to the east side except by boat or maybe off-road vehicle. I guess if you can find a spot, you can fish there, but I wouldn't expect too much from shore besides perch, panfish and the occasional bass.

Thanks Foss. I wonder if it's ok to fish at Omemee Municipal Park. I saw on google map that the nearby public boat launch is off limit to fishing. Thanks again.

[Fossil Fish]

If the boat launch area is off limits, that's a new one to me and likely to many others. The area is closed as per regs in the spring, but once the river is "legal", I think you can fish there.