Last weekend of freedom - seeking fishing / picnic spot PLS!

[blucas2017]

I'm about to start a new job and will be working every single weekend for the foreseeable future . For our last weekend of freedom my husband and I wanted to spend at least a day on the shore of some body of water fishing and cooking out on our little table top bbq.

 

What I'm hoping for is a suggestion for a good spot for this. We're hoping for somewhere within an hour or so of Durham Region, preferably north or east, where the fishing is decent and there's a spot for us to park our little bbq and just enjoy the day together.

 

We'd thought about going somewhere like Emily Park but being that its a long weekend and all the provincial parks are free I'd imagine places like that are going to be PACKED.

 

Thanks for any advice / suggestions, truly appreciate it.

 

 

[John Bacon]

Isn't it federal parks, not provincial parks that are free this year? That is unless I missed something about provincial parks. Although they may be packed this weekend anyway.

 

Squirrel Creek Conservation area and Warsaw caves come to mind. They are on the Ottonabee & Indian rivers. I am sure there are other parks in the Kawarthas.

[Old Ironmaker]

You have a myriad of options available. Booking this late however will be the challenge. Is this a day trip or overnighter camping or getting a room nearby? If camping, or even finding a room is going to be tough because of the long weekend. I recommend getting to Burleigh Falls. Lovesick Lake Camp is across the road. Some of the best shore fishing anywhere I know is right off the rocks at the Falls at this time of year too. Smallmouth, Rock Bass and even some nice sized Walleye in the evening will be there feeding in the fast water. You can have a nice lunch on shore there.

[blucas2017]

It will very likely be a day trip. I thought all that shoreline on the rocks by the falls there was owned by the Burleigh Falls Inn there though.

[mitch seguin]

Consider this location

http://ontarioconservationareas.ca/component/mtree/conservation-authorities-of-ontario/quinte/vanderwater-conservation-area

it is no longer maintained & access is free. Few folks use the site. There are several spots along the shore to picnic with plenty of smbass action. The small falls area also offers a large area to walk and fish. About 20 minutes north of Belleville.

[the spirit of fishing]

That's a good suggestion from Mitch.

My family has property a few km from there and there are rarely many people around.

Another spot a bit closer in the same direction is the Murray Canal

just south of Trenton on Hwy 33 running east/west from Bay of Quinte to Brighton Bay.

Can expect bass, panfish , sheepshead and even occasional walleye; expect more people around but it can be enjoyable

fishing, bar-b-queing and watching the boats go through the canal.

[Old Ironmaker]

I don't know if it is N/S/E or West but if the falls in on your right this side of the bridge "was" open to the public. When I was by there a few years ago I was surprised to see how commercialized the area became since we used to go there. A room was 25 bucks a night back then to give you an idea how long ago it was we used to go, a camp site was $10.00! We slept in the Hippy van to save $$. A case of Beer was $12.00.