South McGuire Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in Nipissing District, Ontario. Country round the bank runs to lake country bush. At about 18 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge runs 3.2 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It sits higher than most water we list in Ontario. Nearest place of any size is United Townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde, 26 km away. For a city, Barrie is 156 km off. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on South McGuire Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Nipissing District records list smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch and pumpkinseed among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read South McGuire Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 18°C; by January the average is down near -12°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. The lid tends to go about late April and return around late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That is the shape of the year on South McGuire Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. You can camp about 530 m away, going by the mapping. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Lower Dwyer Lake is 1 km distant. For South McGuire Lake in particular, ask before you travel.