Ice Fishing Perth Area

[Balleye]

New to the area and reaching out to find ice fishing locations near Perth for perch or walleye? What bodies of water would you suggest? Any around here or am I needing to drive hours and hours?

Any help would be much appreciated.
Cheers,
Balleye

[toobinator]

Not an ice fisherman myself but Mississippi lake and Big Rideau are just down the road from you. The ice is far from safe out there yet though. Be careful

Ed

[smitty55]

For a start check out the Fish ON line app. https://www.lioapplications.lrc.gov.on. ... cale=en-CA
You can search by lake name or species and distance from a certain area if you like. Click on map options and select what you want. Click on information to give you info on specific lakes when you click on the fish symbol. Just about every lake has perch in it but not all have walleye as well. Don't pay too much attention the the last observation date as not many folks actually report.
There are plenty of lakes within a half hour and way more within an hours drive. You have the Mississippi system including the big lake and the river. The Rideau lakes have plenty of perch but not so much Walleye even though they are listed. The river has plenty though.
Some closer lakes include Christie, Otty, Bennett, Pike, Crosby and Bobs and Crow lake a bit further west. Or you could go more north and visit lakes like Taylor, Clayton and even White Lake.

Cheers

[Piscivore]

Smitty pretty much nailed it!

I fish out of my property just north of Perth. The most difficult part is finding safe legal access to many of the areas lakes without knowing a cottager!

I like Clayton and Taylor lakes. The panfish are large and plentiful. I saw many people setting up for walleye, but I would've thought they were wasting their time. Also lots of Crappie in the basin of Clayton. Bob's lake is fantastic for Crappie and pan fish, but the access points l know are more of a drive. I caught my pb perch on Mississippi Lake and you can walk on from the bird sanctuary, but fishing was slow for me and I haven't gone back much.

There are lots of options, good luck!

[Corvus Lacus]

I live on Crow, so it and Bobs (they're connected) is where I spend most of my time. They used to be very good Walleye lakes...a decade or more ago Bobs was an incredible Walleye fishery...back when Bob Leonard used to stock it with yearlings that he raised in his quarry pits with brood stock from the Bay of Quinte. With a strong Cisco food base it produced plenty of 30" + Eyes that behaved pelagically in the deep basins.

Now,the Crappie have pretty well displaced them in the last 10 years... so the gold is pretty rare now (although there are still a few 30"+ fish around), but the black slabs are now like dinner plates...some legitimate 14 inchers. Lake trout are a steady pick (the OMNR has stocked a shyte load over the years), but the season's closed in the winter. However, there are plenty of good-sized Whities and Burbot (freshwater Cod). They both bite well all winter long.

Probably the best Walleye lake in the area is Wolfe..close to Westport, lots of public access. North of Perth... Dalhousie, Govan, Crotch, and Calabogie can all produce on the right day. There's also another lake that's close to Westport (that I won't spell out), but if you do some research on Fish-ON (as Smitty suggests) you will find a lake that receives a ridiculous amount of stocked Walleye fingerlings and yearlings for its size, year after year . In fact, I believe it's the only lake that still receives Walleye stocking in eastern Ontario.

The problem with Walleye fishing in eastern Ontario is keeping any to eat with the slot size reg's...it seems they're either cigars or pigs. So if I'm looking for dinner in winter, I now stick to "alternate species"...Crappies taste just as good as Eyes, Burbot in beer batter will make you forget Halibut, and alder-smoked Whities are my absolute favourite thing that comes out of local waters...

Some photos from last winter...one of the few 'eyes to make the slot.

[RJ]

The problem with Walleye fishing in eastern Ontario is keeping any to eat with the slot size reg's...it seems they're either cigars or pigs.

Great fish man but you may want to revisit the regs. The only walleyes that can be kept in that area MUST be BETWEEN 15.7 and 19.7 inches.

RJ

[Corvus Lacus]

READ MY LAST SENTENCE.
Appreciate your advice on reading the reg's, but obviously I'm quite aware...what did you think I was saying by stating that it seems that I only catch dinks or tanks, so none to eat ?? Obviously, the fish are posed...the old trick of holding them 3 feet out right in front of the lens...it's a fatty but definitely under 20 inches.

Wow...didn't realize this was that kind of place...

[Piscivore]

I don't think RJ meant anything accusatory by it. I imagine he was confused by your wording and was trying to offer helpful clarification of the regs in case you had it twisted about. I get that you didn't and I understood where you were going, but it was unclear and I had to read it a couple of times to get there.

It is a plump fish for sure! I wonder how many people get into difficulties with the last 0.3 inches.
We are still a country operating in imperial units but officially specifying metrics dimensions.

I will have to try Crow Lake this winter. I like fishing Bob's lake, but it is a lot closer for me to access Crow's lake from Lanark.

[RJ]

READ MY LAST SENTENCE.
Appreciate your advice on reading the reg's, but obviously I'm quite aware...what did you think I was saying by stating that it seems that I only catch dinks or tanks, so none to eat ?? Obviously, the fish are posed...the old trick of holding them 3 feet out right in front of the lens...it's a fatty but definitely under 20 inches.

Wow...didn't realize this was that kind of place...

That kind of a place? The kinda place where someone might be trying to help you? Man, show that picture to 100 people and ask them if they think that fish is under 20 inches. I'll bet no one does. When you say it's either dinks or pigs I assumed ya meant that you had to keep "overs" of the slot. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought that. Tricky photo I guess led to it but in the end I wasn't accusing you of anything except maybe going by a misunderstood regulation.

RJ

[scarkner]

Awesome fish! Love the multi-species (and kinda jealous of that great kitchen sink!!! I love that style but couldn't fit it in my own kitchen).

[reefhawg]

Wow, very nice. Whitefish and Burbot, two fish I have yet to catch or taste. Someday.
Cheers

[Lenny]

I have a cottage on Black Lake and go up most weekends, if anyone is looking to link up for some winter fishing feel free to shoot me a PM

[Prairieboy]

Black Lake is a beauty of a spot if you can gain access, the deep trough leading up to the river inlet holds eyes and jumbos. Perch are grubby so they go straight back in.

[Lenny]

Not sure if we're talking about the same black lake, no river goes through it. If you ever want to go fishing there this winter hit me up.

[John Zach]

@lenny Is your black lake the one just west of Big Rideau Lake? I think when that guy talked about the river going through it and the deep basin he meant the creek at the south-east end and the 60ft basin there. Unfortunately the road leading to their cottage doesn't get plowed and it's a half-hour snowshoe trip to get in. If you're on this Black Lake, do you know if there are any roads on the south side that go right by the lake where we could park and get onto the ice like that?

Thanks,

John Zach