Fishing at Callahan Bay, Peterborough County, Ontario

• Overview

  Callahan Bay is one of the Peterborough County listings for Ontario. The setting is rolling bush on every side. Around 13.93 sq km of open water: conditions change from one end to the other. There is roughly 100 km of bank, and each arm behaves like its own water. Few waters listed in Peterborough County are bigger. Norwood at 35 km is the nearest place to stop. After that come Lakefield at 36 km and Marmora at 36 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Callahan Bay

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Oyster and old piling give the only hard structure in sight. The channel is where water moves, and fish follow it. Fish documented in Peterborough County include rock bass, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and muskellunge. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Callahan Bay gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -10°C and July at about 19°C, the water has a wide range to work through. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Plan around that when you fish Callahan Bay.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Bow Lake is 2 km off. Where Callahan Bay is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.