Cat Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Cat Lake lies within the bounds of Haliburton County, Ontario. The country here is lake country bush. The water covers some 58 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Around 6.7 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. The closest town, Haliburton Village, is 20 km distant. Barrie sits 116 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Cat Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Haliburton County include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, rock bass and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Cat Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 18°C at the top of summer and -11°C at the bottom of winter. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It sets the rhythm of the year at Cat Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. You can camp about 160 m away, going by the mapping. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Blackcat Lake is 1.6 km off. The position on Cat Lake is worth confirming on the day.