Lower Raft Lake Fishing Guide, Parry Sound District, Ontario

• Overview

  Lower Raft Lake is a Parry Sound District water, Ontario side. Land around it is rolling bush. Roughly 19 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 2.8 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Start from Huntsville, 16 km down the road. South River is 46 km and Bracebridge 50 km. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Lower Raft Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Parry Sound District: smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and northern pike. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Work Lower Raft Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 18°C, the coldest about -11°C. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near early December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It holds true on Lower Raft Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Verner Lake sits 1.2 km off and takes the overflow. Confirm access to Lower Raft Lake locally before you travel.