Lake Simcoe Fishing

Lake Simcoe hosts a world class sport fish community made up of a number of fish species. The most prominent angled through the ice include: Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Lake Whitefish, Lake Herring (Cisco) and Northern Pike. Less targeted species include Ling (Burbot), Black Crappie, Walleye and even Rainbow Smelt.

The lake contains two major bays (Kempenfelt and Cooks) and one large central basin. The islands of any size are Fox and Snake Islands at the southern end; Strawberry, Grape and Whitney Islands at the northern end, and Thorah and Georgina Islands to the east. At the northern end , the Lake connects to the smaller Lake Couchiching through the Narrows at Atherley. Lake Simcoe forms part of the Trent Canal system, which joins Eastern Lake Ontario with Georgian Bay by linking the Kawartha Lakes system with Lake Couchiching and the Severn River.

Kempenfelt Bay, with a maximum depth of 135 feet is the deepest area in Lake Simcoe. Cook’s Bay, located within the southern portion of the lake reaches a maximum depth of 49 feet.

Lake Simcoe can be classified as a mesotrophic lake containing deep, coldwater habitat throughout Kempenfelt Bay and within its main basin. Warmwater, eutrophic habitat exists within Cooks Bay. Due to the invasive zebra mussel, Lake Simcoe is known for its ultra clear water with over 15 to 20 feet of visibility. Yellow perch and Northern Pike are the main targets of the shallow water fishery from Virginia Beach to Beaverton, in Cook's Bay and also adjoining Lake Couchiching.

Lake Simcoe is an attractive destination for its fantastic Yellow Perch fishery where anglers can catch 14" to 15" jumbo's and regularly bring home their daily limit of 25 to 50 fish in one day. Yellow Perch can be sought throughout the winter season and can be found in many easily accessible spots throughout the lake.