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

• Overview

  The Parry Sound District end of Ontario holds Turtle Lake. Height above sea level is 221 metres. The water covers some 42 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The edge covers about 8.8 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. It lies lower than most water we list in Ontario. Parry Sound is the closest place, 30 km off. South River is 70 km and Huntsville 83 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Turtle Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Parry Sound District, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, northern pike and rock bass. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Turtle Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -9°C in January up to 19°C in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. Open water usually runs from mid April until about early December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Turtle Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Owl Lake is 1.5 km distant. Where Turtle Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.