Little Balsam Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Little Balsam Lake is one of the Parry Sound District listings for Ontario. Everything around it is mixed forest. At 4 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Most waters listed here for Parry Sound District are larger. For supplies, Sturgeon Falls is 54 km out. Beyond it, West Nipissing at 55 km and South River at 59 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Little Balsam Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Parry Sound District include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, northern pike and rock bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. The near bank of Little Balsam Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 19°C on average, January about -10°C. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near early December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Little Balsam Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Balsam Lake is 1.5 km off. For Little Balsam Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.