Charleston Lake PP- Trip report

[floater]

Finally get to go camping. We are going to a new park to us and will be fishing Charleston Lake. Looks like a big lake with lots of structure. Anyone fish this lake? I will be packing gear for pike and bass and lake trout. Any tips would be great thanks

Edited June 26, 2021 by floater

[smitty55]

Here's an old locally hand drawn map of the lake. It's quite accurate. That red stripe is the only main lake weed bed that drops quickly into deep water. Big Pike hang around that deep edge looking to intercept roaming schools of Cisco. If you zoom in you'll notice to named rocks in Big Water that will just break the surface in low water seasons. Babcock's and Englishman's rock. Great spots for Smallies but in reality they are everywhere along rocky shorelines.

The second map is the depth map and I've marked a lot of the runs I like for Lakers, but again you'll see plenty of boats trolling  so that will give you an idea as well. What I really like is that when the wind picks up there are lots of areas to get out of the wind for smaller boats like in between the islands and over in Western Water where I like to go. One thing about Lakers there is  the bite is good in the morning and peters out around 10 so we always like to be launching by 7.

Lot's of hazards in the lake too but for the most part they are all well marked. Lot's of good hiking trails too. It's a beautiful lake where a section of the shield juts down south close to the border.

 

[floater]

That is some great info. Looking forward to getting out of the city for a few days of fishing. Thank you

[Hack_Fisherman]

1 hour ago, floater said:

That is some great info. Looking forward to getting out of the city for a few days of fishing. Thank you

Was booking a site difficult?

[mamona]

@smitty55 you just provided excellent info regarding this lake

[floater]

I booked on Ontario Parks and it was easy. I guess since we can go Monday to Friday it was available. We got a non hydro site but have a generator to charge the batteries.  

[Hack_Fisherman]

9 hours ago, floater said:

I booked on Ontario Parks and it was easy. I guess since we can go Monday to Friday it was available. We got a non hydro site but have a generator to charge the batteries.  

Nice. Did you book online or by phone? 

I didn’t think you were allowed to run genny’s at the PP’s?

[smitty55]

6 hours ago, Hack_Fisherman said:

Nice. Did you book online or by phone? 

I didn’t think you were allowed to run genny’s at the PP’s?

• Question: Can I use a generator in an Ontario Park?
• Answer: The use of a generator is permitted provided that campers respect the “No Excessive Noise” rule.

[Hack_Fisherman]

8 hours ago, smitty55 said:

• Question: Can I use a generator in an Ontario Park?
• Answer: The use of a generator is permitted provided that campers respect the “No Excessive Noise” rule.

Good to know. Thanks. 

[floater]

Booked on line. Our site backs onto bush so the genny goes into the bush a few feet. It's a nice quiet honda. I only use it to charge the boat batteries.  Never had a complaint. 

[woodenboater]

run it on eco mode and no one will hear it.

[Hack_Fisherman]

2 hours ago, floater said:

Booked on line. Our site backs onto bush so the genny goes into the bush a few feet. It's a nice quiet honda. I only use it to charge the boat batteries.  Never had a complaint. 

Those are great genny’s. I remember camping at bonnechere PP a few years ago. It was really hot and some guy was powering his travel trailer with a big, noisy champion rattler, assuming to cool it down with AC. I was beat from being on the go in the heat all day and wanted to sleep as soon as it was dark. I didn’t think genny’s were allowed and was ready to go over with a pair of side cutters and cut off both the recoil cord AND the spark plug wire. But he shut it down at 11pm sharp, presumably for the excessive noise rule. I doubt anyone will mind your Honda. 
 

Cool thing about some of the small Honda’s is they can be pigtailed together for more amperage but the same quiet operation and flexible stowage. Love the concept.

Edited June 21, 2021 by Hack_Fisherman

[akaShag]

It's a great park, but the wardens are <<<ahem>>> enthusiastic about enforcing the rules.  Like, singing around the camp-fire with grandkids to grand-parents, nothing rowdy, and well before 11 pm, cut it out or you will be evicted.

SEVERAL different years.  What can I say?  we are a singing family, and campfires are the perfect venue for this.  I never fished the lake when we camped, but have been there for day trips - it is a lovely, multi-species lake.

Doug

Edited June 22, 2021 by akaShag

[floater]

The trip was great and just what we needed. Caught one laker jigging with a worm. We boated loads of small mouth bass, with four over 18 inches. Found a few large mouth bass but from what we heard most were in the canoe only section of the lake, on the north side of the park. Got two nice pike and about a hundred blue gills and sunfish, some a very decent size.  Launch was great and lots of room to leave the boat at the dock the days we were there. Met the young wardens when they stopped by to get me to back up my truck a little further into the camp site.  We will be going back for sure to try for some more Lakers. Thanks for the tips everyone

[Sinker]

On 6/22/2021 at 7:25 PM, akaShag said:

It's a great park, but the wardens are <<<ahem>>> enthusiastic about enforcing the rules.  Like, singing around the camp-fire with grandkids to grand-parents, nothing rowdy, and well before 11 pm, cut it out or you will be evicted.

SEVERAL different years.  What can I say?  we are a singing family, and campfires are the perfect venue for this.  I never fished the lake when we camped, but have been there for day trips - it is a lovely, multi-species lake.

Doug

Are we related? I am banned from a couple of Provincial parks LOL .....

 

Sounds like a great trip floater! 

 

s. 

[akaShag]

32 minutes ago, Sinker said:

Are we related? I am banned from a couple of Provincial parks LOL .....

 

Sounds like a great trip floater! 

 

s. 

As far as I know, nope, we never had relations!  😮  There were some Newfoundlanders in the crowd singing, though..........