Fishing at Skunk Lake, Parry Sound District, Ontario

• Overview

  Out in Parry Sound District, Ontario, sits Skunk Lake. The setting is pine and birch on every side. It measures about 22 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. With about 4.1 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. It is low-lying compared with other Ontario water we list. Parry Sound is the closest town at 41 km. Greater Sudbury sits 107 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Skunk Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Parry Sound District include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and northern pike. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Fish Skunk Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 19°C; the cold one sits at -10°C. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about early December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Skunk Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Pike Lake, 0.7 km out. What applies at Skunk Lake may have changed since it was mapped.