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

• Overview

  In Ontario, Little Lake Joseph falls inside Parry Sound District. The surface lies 224 metres up. It lies lower than most water we list in Ontario. Parry Sound sits 32 km from here and is the nearest stop. Barrie sits 89 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Also within reach: Draper Lake (1.6 km), Dick Lake just 1.7 km, Mirror Lake (1.7 km), Gerow Lake just 1.9 km and Anselmi Lake (2 km). Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Little Lake Joseph

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Parry Sound District records list smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and northern pike among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Little Lake Joseph the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 19°C in July and bottom out at -9°C in January. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. On average, mid April opens the water and early December closes it again. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. At Little Lake Joseph the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Draper Lake, 1.6 km away. Rules at Little Lake Joseph are worth checking on the day.