McCarthy Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  McCarthy Lake stands in Algoma, Ontario. The water sits 247 metres up. This is sizeable water at about 6.57 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. Few waters listed in Algoma are bigger. The town to know is Elliot Lake, 15 km out. Blind River follows at 42 km, then Espanola at 54 km. Others close at hand: Closs Lake about 2 km, Shawanda Lake some 3 km off, Dyelle Lake about 3.5 km, Louttit Lake some 3.9 km off and Hackford Lake about 4 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on McCarthy Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Open biodiversity records for Algoma list walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter, yellow perch and white sucker. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Read McCarthy Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -11°C in January up to 18°C in July. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Ice clears near late April and comes back about early December in a typical year. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on McCarthy Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Closs Lake, 2 km away. Ask locally about McCarthy Lake if anything is unclear.