Fishing at Lalonde Lake, District Municipality of Muskoka, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Lalonde Lake belongs to District Municipality of Muskoka. Elevation runs to 185 metres. At 9 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. The whole outline is near 1.9 km, and most of it is walkable. It lies lower than most water we list in Ontario. Penetanguishene sits 22 km from the bank. Barrie is the closest city, 63 km away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lalonde Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for District Municipality of Muskoka include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and rock bass. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Lalonde Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 19°C in July and bottoms out near -9°C in January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Lalonde Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Bear Lake, 0.9 km away. What applies at Lalonde Lake may have changed since it was mapped.