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

• Overview

  Tarrant Lake is one of the Parry Sound District waters in Ontario. The water sits 283 metres up. Small at around 5 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Parry Sound District list. The closest town, South River, is 25 km distant. Powassan lies 45 km off, Huntsville another 48 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Tarrant Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Parry Sound District records list smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Tarrant Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 18°C for July and -11°C for January. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near early December in autumn. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That shapes the year on Tarrant Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. There is a campsite 1.1 km from the water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. If the gate is shut, Carmen Lake at 3.3 km is the nearest alternative. Confirm access to Tarrant Lake locally before you travel.