Clear Lake Fishing near South River, Ontario

• Overview

  Clear Lake is a Parry Sound District water, in Ontario. Elevation runs to 240 metres. The water covers some 81 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The perimeter runs near 5.2 km, so plan the walk before you start. Few waters listed in Parry Sound District are bigger. Some 33 km away sits Parry Sound, the nearest settlement. After that come South River at 61 km and Powassan at 74 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Clear Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Parry Sound District include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Anyone new to Clear Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -10°C in January to roughly 19°C in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. The season on Clear Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Loon Lake at 1.6 km is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Clear Lake if anything is unclear.