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

• Overview

  Parry Sound District in Ontario is where Pike Lake sits. The bank is 230 metres above sea level. It covers about 9 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. With about 3.0 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Our Parry Sound District list holds plenty of bigger water. 42 km away sits Parry Sound, the nearest town. Greater Sudbury is the closest city, 106 km away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Pike Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Parry Sound District list smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Pike Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -10°C and July at about 19°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Time your trip to Pike Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Skunk Lake at 0.7 km is the nearest alternative. Where Pike Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.