Dora Lake in Parry Sound District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Dora Lake lies in Parry Sound District, Ontario. Height above sea level is 246 metres. Small at around 7 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Parry Sound District list. Parry Sound is the closest town at 8.4 km. After that come Huntsville at 56 km and Bracebridge at 60 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Dora Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Parry Sound District include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, northern pike and rock bass. The county list is broader than any single water. Read Dora Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 19°C on average, January about -9°C. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about early December in a typical year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. At Dora Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Lane Lake at 1.2 km is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Dora Lake for certain.