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

• Overview

  Strain Lake is one of the Parry Sound District waters in Ontario. The ground around here is rolling bush. Surface area runs to about 8 hectares — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Parry Sound District list. Supplies mean a trip to Parry Sound, 1.6 km off. Further out sit Penetanguishene (65 km) and Huntsville (65 km). It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Strain Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Parry Sound District: smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and northern pike. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The near bank of Strain Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 19°C; the cold one sits at -8°C. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Open water usually runs from mid April until about early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Strain Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Public data records a boat ramp 1 km out. Public data has parking about 190 m from the shore. There is a pier recorded roughly 1 km away. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Darlington's Lake, 1.4 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing here settles the position at Strain Lake for certain.