Tired
of driving for hours to go fishing, this year I have prepared
a list of possible fishing spots in the Toronto area.
One by one I will visit these spots and give my report.
If you have any information you can add please forward them
to me at norm@normwright.com.
Almost all of the channels within the islands
will produce fish. I like to fish the larger main channel
the most. You need to use fairly heavy lure to be able to
cast into the weed beds. On really hot days pike can often
be found in deeper water or in shade near boats.
"The pike opportunities on Toronto Islands
during the last week of May is probably the best fishing in
Toronto I've ever had," he said, noting the evening hours
from 5 to 9 are probably the best times.
His secret? Large inline spinners, like a Mepps
Black Fury 5, casted in and around weedbeds with a medium
or medium-heavy spinning rod.
"Pretty much anywhere you see a
weed bed is the perfect place to go," he said, noting
the main channel on Centre Island is probably the best spot
of all.
My Report
I was unable to get to the Islands. All the parking lots were
full near the ferry. I suggest you take public transport to
get downtown. Unfortunately this will involve lugging your
gear.
Musky Bay has much to offer. It is situated on the beautiful
south shore of rice lake which is recognized by the fisheries
department as being the most prolific lake in Ontario in terms
of the number of fish per acre. The lake provides excellent
fishing from May to October for small and largemouth bass,
walleye, Muskie , and Bluegill and Sunfish. We have two screened-in
fish cleaning houses with a plentiful supply of fresh spring
water . For the convenience of our guests we offer complementary
fish freezing facilities. A 450ft. rock break wall extends
into the lake providing an excellent fishing pier.
Phone: 1-905-352-2221 ( Reservations )
(9:00am to 9:00pm)
40
HP with Power Trim, accommodates up to 8 persons.
Wheelchair accessible, etc.
$160
$105
Heart Lake - Brampton
Heart Lake Conservation Area:
10818 Heart Lake Road
416-667-6295
Rainbow Trout
Largemouth Bass
Mudhead Catfish
Located northwest of Toronto
in the town of Brampton, the Heart Lake Conservation Area
offers fishing for stocked rainbow trout in a large pond.
Owned by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Heart
Lake is stocked with several thousand rainbow trout each year,
most of which run one to two pounds in weight.
In keeping with the conservation authority’s
policy to protect against invading species, all live baits
except worms are prohibited at Heart Lake. Corn kernels are
also widely used as bait, along with salmon eggs, small spinners,
and small spoons. Fly fishing is popular, and effective.
A small population of largemouth bass is also
present, and respond well to spinnerbaits. Some of these fish
exceed three pounds.
Glen Haffy Conservation Area's hiking trails
and vistas offer some of the most panoramic views in southern
Ontario. Home to a trout pond stocked with rainbow trout,
Glen Haffy also offers recreational fishers a great way to
enjoy a summer afternoon, close to the city. This park is
also home to a fish hatchery. Each year, thousands of rainbow
trout are raised for stocking the ponds here and at Heart
Lake Conservation Area. The proceeds generated by angling
fees help fund the fish rearing program.
Admission
Adults $5.50
Seniors (60yrs and over) $4.25
Fishing
Adults $5.75; Children $2.85
To contact Glen Haffy Conservation Area, please
call
905-584-2922
My Report
Basically 2 ponds for fishing with the kids.
Got tangled constantly on broken lines. Left early. Will NOT
return.
This large bay, located in
the far east GTA about halfway between the Rouge River mouth
and the Pickering nuclear generating station, provides year-round
fishing opportunities for a wide range of species.
Frenchman’s Bay is considered to be part
of Zone 20 in the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources fishing
regulations, which means many species are open to fishing
year-round thanks to 12-month open seasons, while others benefit
from extended open seasons. Being sandwiched between the Rouge
River and the nuclear plant, Frenchman’s Bay attracts
a variety of different species that either stray from the
Rouge, or are attracted by the warm-water outflow from the
hydro plant. It is thus possible for an angler to catch up
to a dozen different species in a single day. This is particularly
true when fishing the southern portion of the bay along the
Beachfront Promenade, with its close access to Lake Ontario.
It is possible to hook virtually any species found in Lake
Ontario when fishing here.
Frenchman’s Bay is a popular destination
for anglers in search of trophy northern pike, from ice-out
until the season closes at the end of March. But good fishing
continues after it re-opens in early May, with smaller pike
to six or seven pounds caught right through the summer. Minnowbaits,
spoons, spinners and live shiner minnows are the most effective
offerings. Although rare, muskie are also occasionally caught
by anglers seeking spring pike. The open season for muskie
does not open till the 3rd Saturday in June, and closes December
15. Because they are so rarely seen in this area, many anglers
feel these fish should be released in any case.
The docks at the west side
are private, but you can use it on the weekend and the docks
at the east side are public. A nice public washroom and kids
playgroud at the junction of Liverpool Road and Sandbar Road.
Pike anglers also occasionally catch large walleye.
The adjacent Pickering nuclear plant attracts a large number
of walleye each winter with its warm-water outflow (water
sucked in from the lake is used to cool the turbines –
when pumped back out, it is usually about 10 degrees warmer).
This warm water plume attracts walleye and a variety of others
species. Some of those walleye enter Frenchman’s Bay
to spawn. Although protected by a closed season through March
and April, enough of the big fish are caught before the season
closes, and again after it re-opens, to make things interesting
for anglers looking for a wall-hanger. A few of these large
walleye may exceed 10 pounds, with the average fish in the
two to three pound range.
Panfish action at Frenchman’s Bay is steady
through the spring and early summer. Bluegill, punkinseed,
yellow perch and black crappie are the most common catches,
along with white perch, white bass and brown bullheads. Small
minnows or worms fished under a sensitive float take the most
fish, followed by small jigs and spinners.
Frenchman’s Bay has a good population of
both largemouth and smallmouth bass. Largemouth are most abundant
in the shallower, weedier and warmer north end of the bay,
while smallmouth are more abundant along the deeper, cooler
southern shorelines. Both offer excellent fishing through
the summer, and respond to a wide range of baits and lures.
Good bass fishing continues into the autumn, as the cooler,
nutrient-rich water attracts pike and walleye from the open
waters of Lake Ontario.
Season ends 30th Sept above Kingston Road
Below open all year.
Little Lake - Barrie
Little lake is a shallow lake that reaches
depths of just over 15ft..the The perimeter of the lake is
7km .
There are extensive weedbeds throughout the lake with reeds
and cattail sections bordering the shoreline. Submerged logs
can also be found on the west end. These types of coverage
can hold all the major fish species although northern pike
and walleye will move to the deeper areas of the lake as the
water warms in the summer .
A common method of fishing is to make long drifts across the
lake utilizing a variety of weedless and semi-weedless jigs.
There are a series of small bumps towards the middle of the
lake that will concentrate fish.
Tel: 705-721-4691
My Report
Still a great way to spend the day fishing. Caught and
released 6 pike ranging from 20 - 24 inches. Well worth the
drive.
Chinook
Salmon,Coho Salmon, White Bass, Steelhead (Late Summer Early Fall)
Rouge Beach Park is located at the terminus
of Lawrence Avenue East, at the Rouge Hills Drive intersection.
The park is a fifteen minute walk from the Rouge Hill GO train
station and only five minutes walk from the Lawrence East
54 bus stop.
Location: 195 Rouge Hills Drive, Toronto
My Report
So far only fished for one hour. My wife was shopping and
I was filling in time. Was getting bites all the time fishing
the quiet water beside the parking lot. Will return later
this week and update the report.
Rouge River
Fall-run Steelhead first enter into creeks and
rivers as nighttime temperatures start to drop off and we
receive a few days of cold rain. Although it differs from
one body of water to another, the run generally begins around
mid to late October as fresh Steelhead enter into the creeks
and rivers mixing in with Salmon whose spawning run is beginning
to taper off. These Steelhead will hold in the river throughout
the remainder of the fall and winter until the ice starts
to melt out in the spring. The best thing about this is that
as the days get shorter and colder, the action seems to get
better, perhaps in direct relation to the fewer number of
anglers on the water.
Numbers-wise, the steelhead run gets stronger
and stronger throughout the fall and winter, with more and
more fish pouring into rivers throughout the Great Lakes region.
The shallow fine-gravel spawning sites steelhead
prefer are found in riffles at the head of a pool or at tail-outs,
often in small tributaries of a larger stream or river.
The above pool is at Twin Rivers
east side of bridge.
On the left is the bridge on Meadowvale
just north of Old Finch Avenue.
Grass is green, no folliage on trees and
no leaves on ground. Looks like early spring.
Video was uploaded April 28 2008
4th Sat in April - Dec 31
Rouge River - from Hwy. 2 in the City of Toronto upstream
to the south side of Hwy. 407 in the Town of Markham.
Open All Year
Rouge River - City of Toronto between Hwy. 2 and Lake
Ontario.
Bluffers Park &
Marina
Fall: The marina receives most
of its fishing pressure from September to November when trout
and salmon come into the marina for a short stay before making
their way to nearby rivers to begin spawning. Anglers use
many techniques but float fishing roe bags and pitching spoons
like Wilson Wobblers are most commonly used. I have had a
lot of success using inline spinners like the Vibrax Blue
Fox (#3 or #4) and the Mepps Aguila.
Winter: The water in the marina freezes
over so shore fishing is just about impossible unless we experience
an unusually warm winter that extends the fishing season.
Spring: Right after the ice thaws in
the spring many massive Northern Pike make their way into
the marina to spawn and feed. If you already fish for pike
you know that they eat just about anything in sight and are
less picky eaters than other species of fish. They also tend
to feed during sunny periods when bass and other fish run
for cover under the shade of heavily weeded areas. Your chance
of catching bigger pike is best in the spring before they
return into the deeper waters when temperatures rise. They
will hit your lure quite close to the shoreline where they
troll up and down scooping up smaller less fortunate fish.
Summer: In July and August smallmouth
and largemouth bass make their way into the marina. Remember
these are Lake Ontario bass so there is always a chance to
catch your personal record when you least expect it. The bass
tend to be more finicky and will often chase your lure to
shore without taking it. Don’t lose hope. As an angler
it is your job to figure out what they are really feeding
on.
Near Ontario Place for BIG pike... Ashbridges
Bay, Bluffers Park, Humber Bay, Rouge River mouth...and so
on .Pike, bass, panfish, trout,
salmon can be had in all those locales... maybe even a walleye
if you're really LUCKY!!
Chinook Salmon (Pacific Salmon, King Salmon) In streams in the fall, readily takes spawn and spinners. Run is mid-September to mid-October
Take note that salmon do not feed while in the river, however
they will hit a lure or bait out of a reaction strike and
not a feeding impulse
Coho Salmon In streams takes spinners, spawn
and spawn imitations. Run is mid-September to mid-October
Take note that salmon do not feed while in the river., however
they will hit a lure or bait out of a reaction strike and
not a feeding impulse
Steelhead (Sea-Run or Lake-Run Rainbow
Trout) Run is mid-October to mid-November
Steelhead are unlike salmon as they will actively feed
while in the river, they have instincts that were engrained
at an early age. Steelhead stay in freshwater for up to two
years so they must eat like all trout do, that's probably
why bait is considered deadly. Monitor the lake shore temperatures. Lake
shore temperatures dropping to 20 degrees C and below (usually
occurring by the third week of September) are optimum for
large numbers of steelhead to move to and stage along the
Lake shore prior to running up the tributaries. Typically
the initial runs contain a fair number of smaller "jacks"
or two year old steelies. The larger mature adult fish (that
are capable of spawning) are mostly 3 year olds with some
4 year old bruisers.
Spinners For winter runs, spinners size 4's
and 5's are far and away the most common size choices.
Spoons
try to avoid the mistake of simply casting and reeling ...
you'll catch many more fishing swing the spoon in most instances
Fishing the Rouge River
Further upriver, the Rouge is bordered by valuable
old-growth stands of native red oak and white pine, and rare
prairie plant species. And in the Rouge’s cool headwaters
(sources), observers may spot brook trout, brown trout and
rainbow trout.
Oak Ridges Moraine
The creeks and rivers fed by the Oak Ridges
Moraine support some of the most significant fish populations
in Ontario. On the north side of the moraine are Brook Trout,
and on the south side are Salmon and Steelhead. These fisheries
contribute immensely to Ontario 's recreational fishery –
and supporting industries.
Located on the Toronto waterfront, Tommy Thompson Park is
a unique urban wilderness minutes from downtown. The park
is located on a man-made peninsula, known as the Leslie Street
Spit, which extends five km into Lake Ontario and is over
500 hectares in size. The Toronto Harbour Commissioners (now
Toronto Port Authority) began construction of the spit in
the late 1950s and, since that time, it has been the site
for the disposal of dredged material from the Outer Harbour
and surplus fill from development sites within Toronto.
The park is open on weekends and
holidays and free parking is available in the parking
lot inside the front gates on the west side or just outside
of the front gates along Leslie St. and Unwin Ave. From the
front gates you can hop on the free TTP Shuttle Van service
that runs on weekends and holidays from 9am to 5:30pm, May
through October. Please note that the TTP parking lot gates
open on weekends and holidays at 9am and are closed and locked
promptly at 6pm April to November and 4:30pm November to March.
Pike, Largemouth
Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Perch
Coho Salmon,
Chinook Salmon,
Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout (Late Summer Early Fall)
Last year I found this pond. On two visits I caught a largemouth
each time large enough to take home, but I released them.
This year most of the lily pads are gone. Out of a total of
5 visits I have caught:
3 crayfish
1 11 inch catfish
2 turtles
15 - 20 of the fry shown on the left.
Don't exactly know what this fish is. The faint pink line
through the middle might suggest a baby rainbow but the eyes
are very far apart as in a catfish.
I have contacted the Conservation Authority and requested
information. Will update once I hear back.
I don't intend to return. No longer worth the parking
fee and the 15 minute walk.
