Fishing McTaggart Lake in Parry Sound District, Ontario

• Overview

  McTaggart Lake sits in Parry Sound District, out in Ontario. The surroundings are pine and birch. At about 12 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Roughly 1.6 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. It is low-lying compared with other Ontario water we list. Nearest place of any size is Parry Sound, 21 km away. For a city, Barrie is 94 km off. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on McTaggart Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Species logged across Parry Sound District include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Work McTaggart Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 19°C and January near -9°C on the long-run figures. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to early December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It sets the rhythm of the year at McTaggart Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is camping recorded roughly 700 m off. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, McKechnie Lake is 1 km distant. The position on McTaggart Lake is worth confirming on the day.