Lake Review #1: Sparrow Lake

Sparrow Lake is about a two hour drive north of Toronto and, partly because of its close proximity to the city, it was one of my favourite places to fish growing up.  The lake is relatively shallow, and holds a large number of panfish.  Feeding on these bait fish are northern pike, walleye and both largemouth and smallmouth bass.

The shallow bays are very weedy and home to a large number of small pike.  If you are looking to find fish to bring back to the table, or if you’re looking for some exciting top-water action, these bays are the places to go to (including McLean Bay at the northern end of the lake).  Even when I was young I managed to snag a few of these small yet aggressive predators.  Although I have never seen any really good sized fish taken from these shallow reservoirs, I have never fished there in the spring- a time when even big pike frequent shallow waters.

Fishing forum wisdom: "If you have a map of that lake, then head over to duck bay, stay in the 5'-15' range and use long stick baits like Rapala's. Also the bay off of the mouth of deep bay is AWESOME for big pike. There is drop off from about 8' down to 20'. But this area is near the of boat traffic and some time boat control is a pain."

Apparently this has been my 'go-to' fishing hat for quite some time



There are also walleye in Sparrow Lake.  By no means am I a walleye fisherman, but I have seen other people catch these finicky fish in this body of water.  The areas to focus on are the islands and shoals located towards the northern part of the lake.

The lake also holds some nice bronzebacks.  When I was younger, I used to tip jigs with live minnows, and I managed to catch several chunky smallmouth using this technique on Sparrow Lake.  The bigger bass tend to be found along drop-offs around points on the eastern side of the lake.  In particular I’m talking about the areas around Ernest Island and Speer Island.  There are a few other nice drop-offs just north of these bays that might also be worth checking out.  If I ever go back, I may try drop-shotting in these locations.

Finally, if you're really lucky, you may catch one of these: Sparrow Lake Musky.

Quite picturesque in the fall



Overall, Sparrow Lake is a good place to go if you’re looking to fish for several species and don’t want to travel very far (for those who live in Toronto).  However, I was thinking about taking a trip there with my friend only to find out that boat rentals cost around $150/day- I’ve seen other places in better fishing spots, albeit more remote, rent for around $80/day.  Personally, I would rather spend an extra hour or two travelling if it means better fishing AND lower costs, especially if I’m going for more than one day.  If you have your own boat however, or don’t mind paying $150/day, then it’s a place worth checking out.

Greg Cholkan is a lawyer and fisherman. He works in Muskoka with Barriston LLP and his practice focuses on real estate, wills and estates, and corporate matters.

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