Fishing at Pickerel Lake, Parry Sound District, Ontario

• Overview

  Pickerel Lake sits in Parry Sound District, out in Ontario. It stands 317 metres above sea level. This is sizeable water at about 5.08 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. The shoreline runs about 15 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Size puts it in the front rank of our Parry Sound District list. South River lies 18 km from the water. Powassan is 39 km and Huntsville 39 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Pickerel Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Parry Sound District list smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, northern pike and rock bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Pickerel Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 18°C in July and bottom out at -12°C in January. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. On Pickerel Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. You can launch from a ramp around 1.1 km away. Somewhere to sit and eat is 1.1 km out. There are toilets 1.1 km off. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Jacks Lake is 3.7 km distant. None of that is settled for Pickerel Lake in what we hold.