Dead Horse Lake near South River: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Look for Dead Horse Lake in Parry Sound District, Ontario. It lies 392 metres above sea level. Small at around 9 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Most waters listed here for Parry Sound District are larger. South River is the closest town at 14 km. Powassan is 24 km and Callander 43 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Dead Horse Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Parry Sound District include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and northern pike. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Dead Horse Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 18°C in July and bottom out at -12°C in January. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Anyone fishing Dead Horse Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Long Lake at 0.9 km is the nearest alternative. The position on Dead Horse Lake is worth confirming on the day.