Fishing at Grouse Lake, Parry Sound District, Ontario

• Overview

  Grouse Lake lies in Parry Sound District, in Ontario. Elevation runs to 188 metres. With some 34 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 4.4 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Ontario listings. Parry Sound lies 31 km from the water. Beyond it, South River at 85 km and Penetanguishene at 87 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Grouse Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Parry Sound District: smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, northern pike and rock bass. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Treat Grouse Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -8°C in January up to 19°C in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly mid December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Plan around that when you fish Grouse Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Little Shebeshekong Lake is 3.7 km off. Nothing here settles the position at Grouse Lake for certain.