Fishing Lake St. John in Simcoe County, Ontario

• Overview

  The Simcoe County entry here is Lake St. John, in Ontario. The bank is 214 metres above sea level. It measures some 6.38 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. Some 16 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Few waters listed in Simcoe County are bigger. Start from Amigo Beach, 5.4 km down the road. Then Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School, 11 km, and Orillia, 12 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lake St. John

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Simcoe County list pumpkinseed, northern pike and yellow perch. The county list is broader than any single water. Lake St. John fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -10°C in January and 19°C in July. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan around that when you fish Lake St. John.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping shows a ramp about 710 m from the shore. Recorded parking is 790 m off, far enough to travel light. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Mud Lake, 3.2 km away. Treat Lake St. John as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.