Big Caribou Lake Fishing in Parry Sound District, Ontario

• Overview

  Big Caribou Lake falls in Parry Sound District, part of Ontario. The country round it is mixed forest from end to end. The water covers around 5.34 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. At about 30 km of edge, most people fish a single area and learn it well. On our Parry Sound District list it sits near the top for size. Sturgeon Falls is the closest place, 50 km off. For a city, Greater Sudbury is 94 km off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Big Caribou Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Parry Sound District include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, northern pike and rock bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Big Caribou Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 19°C and January about -11°C. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near early December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. It sets the rhythm of the year at Big Caribou Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. You can camp 980 m off, which suits an early start. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Loon Lake, 1.2 km out. Where Big Caribou Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.