Algonquin Adventures / Bass and Pike Fishing

**Posted by My Self Reliance** 8/07/2016 4:16 pm

Can anyone suggest a good area for bass and/or pike, and by good, I mean very good? I know a few small lakes in the west section of the park if I want to catch lots of small bass, but are there any lakes that are good for bigger bass and pike, worthy of a true "fishing trip"?
Would the Kitty/Crotch/Farm area be considered good warm water fisheries, or would I be better off going to Island Lake or somewhere else outside of the park?
Btw, I would never ask this question about trout and expect an answer, but I'm thinking most people don't mind talking about these species. If you don't mind sharing, but not with this many people, please private message me.

Thanks.
Shawn

**Posted by swedish pimple** 8/07/2016 6:12 pm

gotta be booth lake,, largest bay heading north,, west side all weed cover for pikes and bass, east side deep trout trolling lane, two lakes in one.

**Posted by DanPM** 8/07/2016 7:41 pm

Yes go to the Kitty/Crotch/Farm area, including Booth/Tattler. That's your best bet for pike in the park anyway. I caught a pike on my first cast in the weedy part of Booth that swede is describing. Not sure about larger sized bass, maybe someone else can comment. But if you want pike your choices in the park are limited.

**Posted by MartinG** 8/07/2016 7:59 pm

There are some good spots. Particularly the north and north east. Booth as already mentioned is pretty good although I think it's better for Pike than Bass.

Are they better than Island Lake? No. The quiet lakes approaching the Bay, Massassauga PP, the rivers draining into the bay, Loring, Temagami, eastern Ontario... will all out perform Algonquin.

**Posted by frozentripper** 8/08/2016 9:32 am

Late Aug and Sept may be some of the best times to fish for pike, when water temps start to cool off. Most of the large pike I've caught at this time were caught by trolling for hours and hours, and covering more shoreline area than with casting (although hotspots of course deserve more attention).

I've caught large pike in Georgian Bay at Moon river but there will be many more places with time spent poking around here and there. An esocid specialist I've worked with said the largest pike may be the ones in deeper water further offshore, off rocky points and islands and away from the weedy bays that are the more usual habitats that produce pike. Troll 'em all.

If you are going to fish smaller lakes for bass, it might be best to fish where pike don't co-exist with them. In some of the lakes surrounding the park, invading pike are out-competing smallmouth bass and formerly good bass lakes and rivers now only produce pike, and small ones at that. Booth lake catch should be interesting to watch over the years to see if SMB are replaced by pike.

Anyway, trolling shorelines is a most enjoyable way to spend time while canoeing and different from the more usual charge across the lake... good luck and a large pike will yield most enjoyable fillets to have at the end of the day as well (much better than bass IMHO).

**Posted by token** 8/08/2016 9:50 am

Narrows between Crotch and Shall. I was at the camp-site right on the point and caught 50+ 2+LB smallies in about an hour.
This one was my supper that night.

Last edited by token (8/08/2016 9:52 am)