Bearshead Lake near Penetanguishene: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Bearshead Lake is one of the District Municipality of Muskoka listings for Ontario. It stands 181 metres above sea level. It runs to roughly 18 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Shoreline length is close to 5.8 km, and each section fishes a little differently. Ground here is low by Ontario standards. Penetanguishene lies 15 km from the water. Midland lies 18 km off, Elmvale another 36 km. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Bearshead Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. District Municipality of Muskoka records list pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and rock bass among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. Bearshead Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 20°C and January near -9°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about mid December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Bearshead Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A picnic area is mapped about 1.4 km away. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Goblin Lake is 2 km off. Where Bearshead Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.