Fishing Santa Lake in Parry Sound District, Ontario

• Overview

  Santa Lake falls in Parry Sound District, part of Ontario. The bank gives way to mixed forest. With some 15 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The full circuit measures close to 4.5 km on foot. The nearest town is Parry Sound, 16 km away. The big place round here is Barrie, 111 km distant. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Santa Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Parry Sound District list smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Santa Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 19°C, the coldest about -10°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about early December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. That is the shape of the year on Santa Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Gilboe Lake is 1.8 km off. Confirm access to Santa Lake locally before you travel.