Help needed - Which of these Provincial Parks has the best fishing?

[007]

Hi folks.

 

I've officially caught the camping bug. Have had one successful trip to Algonquin and have others planned to the following provincial parks over the next three months - Restoule, Silent Lake, Fairbank and Killarney. However I am thinking of planning one more for mid September and have been considering Arrowhead, Bonnechere and Charleston Lake. Can anyone tell me which has the best fishing opportunities in September and what I might catch at each of them?

 

Thanks in advance for the help!

007

Edited June 13, 2007 by OO7

[007]

Bump....

 

C'mon folks... there must be someone out there who can tell me what the fishing is like at one of these parks?

 

All help appreciated.

 

007

[Andy]

I've only camped at Arrowhead once about ten years ago. A very nice park, some nice bike trails. Well wooded. It is canoe only(no gas motor) and is a busy park. That being said, my son and I fished the far shore near a shoreline filled with reeds, we had non stop action for about an hour late in the evening. Lots of small bass. There is a smaller and deeper lake in the park and it supposedly had trout in it. Not the greatest fishing, but we really enjoyed it. Huntsville is close by, and there are a number of good lakes near by. Andy

[brifishrgy]

Give Grundy Lake a try ... you wont be dissapointed ... if you decide to go I will give you a few spots to go (both in and out of the park)

[fishindevil]

Bonechere park has good fishing for sure,for smallies,and for trout...its a big lake and there are many smaller lakes in the area that have rainbows and brookies,you are only a few miles from alqunquin prov....park as well......i have camped and fished the area ...good luck cheers

[007]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Brifishrgy - I will certainly look into Grundy Lake as I open to suggestions for any parks with good fishing within 3hours drive of Toronto.

 

Has anyone fished Charleston Lake or Murphy's Point Provincial Parks over in SE Ontario?

[Dartee]

Charleston Lake PP is a big park, lots of good tent sites and trailer sites.

The lake is absolutly gorguous.

You'll find SM and LM bass. Small mouth can be really good. 4+lbs not uncommon

Lakers can be hit and miss, they are either near impossible to find or very easy.

Lots of deep water (season closes Sept 8th)

There are also some large pike if you can find them.

 

Murphy's Point PP

Okay park, not my favorite. Limited # of decent tent sites, more trailer sites.

SM and LM Bass can be good.

Pike same

Lakers same as Charleston

Walleye there are some but hard to find.

[Cast-Away]

If you have a boat, the Massasauga is awesome.

[007]

Thanks Dartee - just the kind of info I needed. From looking at the campground info available Charleston Lake does look like the better place - was hoping for good tent sites close to the water with privacy. Sounds like Charleston Lake also wins over Murphy's Point for fishing. Have you fished Charleston in September - is the fishing still good then?

 

Cast Away - I had looked at Massassauga - looked like the perfect place to get away from it all but alas I have no boat (I guess the inflatable dinghy doesn't count! LOL)

 

So I think my search is narrowed to Bonnechere or Charleston Lake....hmm

 

Any more replies or info would be greatly received or I might just have to get a quarter out of my pocket and flip for it!!

Edited June 14, 2007 by OO7

[Gerritt]

Killbear.

 

http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/killb.html

 

Gerritt.

Edited June 14, 2007 by Gerritt

[Golfisher]

Any luck with finding a camping site? I've been looking into provincial parks and it seems they are all booked solid, at least those located within a radius of 3 hours or so of driving from TO.

[Dartee]

Have you fished Charleston in September - is the fishing still good then?

 

007

In September the SM Bass fishing for me has been pretty good. Lots of rock piles with deep water nearby.

Lakers are usually still running deep by the closer. (Can't wait for the new regs with the extra week)

 

If you don't have a boat , I think there are canoe rentals inside the park (some nice Bass and Trout jigging water within easy paddle of the park.

If you need to rent a boat, try Kelsea's Marina or Lake Line lodge at the northeast end of the lake (Charleston Lake Village, approx 20 min drive from the park)

[007]

Golfisher - all my camping trips for June, July and August were booked months ago to make sure I got a good site - I had been warned by a friend that leaving it till now would mean they would all be filled up. I am now looking to book a trip in mid-September when there is more availability (after the school holidays finish I guess) however I am finding that many of the parks close at least 50% of their sites after the Labor Day weekend! For example, some OFNcers have previously recommended that I go to Bonnechere PP and get a site on the river - when I contacted the park I was told that all those prime sites are closed as it is the end of the season!

 

Thanks again Dartee - I'm seriously considering Charleston Lake and will do some more research on it. Any shore fishing opportunities?

 

Thanks Gerritt - I tried to get a waterfront site at Killbear for this month - but they were already taken or that part of the campground didn't open until the end of the month. Looks like a nice park, if a little busy.

Edited June 14, 2007 by OO7

[Gerritt]

Killbear is probably one of the nicest park in central Ontario. If you do get a site there at some point have a great time!

 

Gerritt.

[Headhunter]

If fishing is your goal, I would re-consider Killarney! Although a very scenic and beautful park, not much in the way of fishing opportunities. And I do agree with Gerritt... Killbear is stunning as well!

HH

[Aaron Shirley]

I really enjoy camping as well, but haven't done it in years except for one trip last summer, and we caught the bug again. I left it way too late to book a good site on a good location this year though, so I learned the hard way. They told us that we should book 5 months in advance!

 

We settled on going to Restoule PP this July, but we have to go from Monday to Sat, as the weekends are booked solid. I have never fished Restoule before, but I am really looking forward to exploring new waters!

 

Anyone know what species are in the lake? I hear that lake trout, muskie and walleye are in there, but there must be smallies and\or largemouth?

 

Good luck camping\fishing 007! Maybe I'll see you there.

 

Aaron

[RobHall]

I really enjoy camping as well, but haven't done it in years except for one trip last summer, and we caught the bug again. I left it way too late to book a good site on a good location this year though, so I learned the hard way. They told us that we should book 5 months in advance!

 

We settled on going to Restoule PP this July, but we have to go from Monday to Sat, as the weekends are booked solid. I have never fished Restoule before, but I am really looking forward to exploring new waters!

 

Anyone know what species are in the lake? I hear that lake trout, muskie and walleye are in there, but there must be smallies and\or largemouth?

 

Good luck camping\fishing 007! Maybe I'll see you there.

 

Aaron

 

Our group spent a week on Restoule at Northern Pines Camp in July 2005. We were 5 families and the fishing was almost non-existant. I think the weather played a big part in that though. Generally the waters of Lake Restoule have Pike, Muskie, Whitefish, Small Mouth Bass, Lake Trout and Walleye. The owner of the lodge eventually took as to small back lake teaming with Bass. We were pulling them in one after the other. I hope things are better for you in 2007.

 

FOTB

[007]

Hey Aaron. I will be up at Restoule PP for the forthcoming long weekend June 30th to July 4th. I have heard that it is a beautiful place with some smallmouth and walleye fishing - which is why I booked a nice lakeside site. Looking for my first walleye. My only concern is finding somewhere to rent a boat or finding some good shore fishing opportunities. When are you going to be up there?

 

Fishinonthebrain - sounds like I should look for that small back lake full of bass too - GPS coordinates please? LOL

 

HeadHunter - You're right. I had heard that Killarney isn't the best for fishing as many lakes are still recovering from acid rain pollution. I picked that camping trip for the scenery though not the fishing. Killbear would have been my choice for fishing Georgian Bay but Killarney sounds like a beautiful place for hiking and not to be missed.

[addy79]

I spent an entire week up at restoule and have to agree, the fishing there is nearly non existant! we hooked into a few walleye adn bass but for the most part it was REALLY slow!

There is another lake in the park, i can remember what it was called but its on the park property and ther is a boat launch there as well. Its a nicer lake with lots of promising spots, but again, could never find much more than small bass and the occasional walleye under 2lbs.

Good luck to ya, let us know how it goes regardless.

 

BTW...

 

I've headed up to Halfway lake P.P. (just north of sudbury near Cartier) and the fishing there was phenomenol for MONSTER pike, and healthy populations of lake trout. Very nice park, great beach, and clean waters

[Aaron Shirley]

Thanks for the warning about Restoule guys. By the sounds of it, I may take a day trip to Nippissing one day, and also take my car topper with the 4hp Merc for a possible trip to a back lake. More exploring anyway Also, thanks for the tip on Halfway Lake. What size pike, up to 15-pounds? What is the average size?

 

007, I tried to get that weekend with the week as well, but they were booked solid on the Canada Day weekend, so we booked the Monday to Sat after the long weekend. Looks like I will be getting there as you leave.

 

Good fishing!

 

Aaron

[tonyb]

Ahh Restoule...

 

 

You'll find everything you need at...

 

 

Stop in and say hi to Bing!

Boat rentals, bait, ice cream, and definately buy a package of Bings Famous fish coating mix - very Tasty

 

And you can get your booze at...

 

 

There are Pike, Musky, Bass, Pickerel, Panfish, Lake Trout and Whitefish in there...

 

 

 

 

Sure is pretty up there...

 

 

Tony

[fishinfool]

Try Balsam Lake Provincial Park.

Been going to our cottage there for 36 years and the fishing is great.

If you decide to try it, pm me and I will let you in on one or two spots that you will hammer the smallies on.

I might even be persuaded to let you in on one of my Muskie spots if you take an oath to never...

[fishinfool]

Try Balsam Lake Provincial Park.

Been going to our cottage there for 36 years and the fishing is great.

If you decide to try it, pm me and I will let you in on one or two spots that you will hammer the smallies on.

I might even be persuaded to let you in on one of my Muskie spots if you take an oath to never...

[nomadfisher]

here is a brief synopsis of my provincial

park experiences...

 

 

 

balsam lake... walleye, muskie

you need to find the reefs for the walleye...

 

rice lake.... the old serpent mound provincial park now run by the natives... still a good location for walleye

 

 

emily on pigeon lake... had significant sized large mouth bass right close to the park.. never tried going

to the main part of the lake for walleye tho'

 

murphy's point.access to the rideau system .. again, very large bass close to the park in the weeds...

 

 

 

finlayson pt. a bit farther that your 3 hour radius, more like 5, but on lake temagami, the centre of paradise...

main lake takes a long time to learn however, since it is so big with many bays.. lots of walleye, smallmouth, pike

and lake trout of very significant sizes... saw 20 lb walleye taken out at night... myself got a

15lb walleye on one of the back lakes...

 

 

 

 

 

lake st. peter... good supply of smaller smallmouth within the actual lake... supposedly stocked

rainbows, but no sight of those ! ! !

 

presqu'ille: good sized pike in presqu’ille bay, especially trolling at the mouth, into the main lake...

water access to bay of quinte through the murray canal...

 

 

sibbald point... access to lake simcoe, a chapter in itself... perch and pike toward the island north of the park..

 

 

ivy lea, not a provincial park, but part of the st. lawrence parks... excellent bass fishing in super clear waters..

 

six mile lake... very consistent producer of medium to pike with some very large... consistent producer of

smallmouth..

 

 

killbear... big water park, fairly hard to fish.because on georgian bay.... some very large smallmouth bass on the eastern shore of the killbear point tho’..

 

 

restoule... deep water lake. mainly lake trout deep, hard to fish...

 

awenda... lake in park has no motor rule... good for canoe fishing for bass...

 

 

 

cheers & happy fishing and experiencing the great Ontario outdoors ! ! ! ! !

 

..... nomad...

[007]

Wow - lots of info - thanks Nomad.

 

Fishinfool - if I head up Balsam way I will let you know and take you up on those bass n musky spots.

 

TonyB - thanks for the glimpse of Restoule - am looking forward to my trip there in three weeks but was worrying about the fishing - but looks like you had a good time. Was that Boat rental place close to the Provincial Park?

 

Cheers

007