Panache Lake is known for its fishing and has several lodges and cottages on it. Hiking, biking, ethical travel, and outdoor activity in Canada and around the world. The rain had stopped by the time we got into the main section of the lake and the lake was like glass. It took a good 15 to 20 minutes to untangle it, all the while fish were jumping around me. Three-for-three! Friendly Greg of Killarney Kanoes warned us that this route was essentially impassible due to low water levels, so around we went. After descending the mountain south, the trail turned east and followed a weedy creek, parts of which can apparently be paddled in high water. It was now enshrouded in mystery...or maybe they were just clouds. This site was stunning, and its smooth rocks were exemplary of what makes Killarney unique. 1076 Hwy 637, KILLARNEY, Ontario. Knowing we had a monster portage ahead of us that day, we got up and at it early. This can be done, Once that is locked in, book your flights and/or transportation to the park. 261 catches are logged on Fishbrain. Dua Lake is a lake located just 69.8 miles from Killarney, in Sudbury District, in the province of Ontario, Canada, near Greater Sudbury, ON. While far less warm than the 5-day canoe trip in Algonquin Park earlier this year, there is something to be said about cozying up next to a fire in fleece pants and toques. Your email address will not be published. Paddling to portaging ratio & the portages in general!! Dinner: Sausages & cous cous, pasta with fried veggies and soy chunks (+ fresh bass), and pizza with all the toppings (+ fresh pike and mulled wine!!). I was anxious to get at them, but as luck would have it, on my second cast, my line got into a formidable tangle. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. I still didn't get in. Explore the shores of Balsam Lake. Good Omen! Bell lake killarney fishing. . Right out of the gate from take-out was an upward vertical assault for the first 100 meters or so. You go, Greg! The fun begins! My dad wanted to give one last cast before leaving Bassoon and in doing so hooked into a real fighter. Here are some ideas: Food on the Trail. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Rounding the bend, passing the fishing camp and into the bay at the south-eastern tip of the lake, we soon made it to the 285 m portage into Goose Lake. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Below are brief summaries of spring fishery assessments that were conducted by North District fisheries staff over the past few years. This would absolutely be worth it. AMAZING!! As you go through three mile lake to get into balsam lake it begins to get more remote. Getting to the site early in the afternoon allowed us to cook a nice lunch, set up the hammock and relax for the day. Goose Lake is a shallow and weedy lake which looked like it might be a haven for pike, but we were anxious to press ahead to our site on Fish Lake, so we didn't cast a line. New posts will not be retrieved. At the time of booking, I tried to reserve this lake, but no such luck. Looking at the size and the skull, it looked to be a rather large mammal of some sorts, most likely a deer. That always gives the warm fuzzies to a canoe tripper. Day 5 Soon after the mist cleared, we paddled out to the northeast end of David Lake through some very pretty channels dotted with white quartz, glancing back at Silver peak from time to time to remember the view. Do you think if I’m fit enough to hike with a big backpack that I’d be ok, or should I train a bit in some way to prepare? Again, you book a lake instead of a specific site. We didn't have any luck and went back to camp for a dinner of steak and ceasar salad. There are SO many lakes around and they are all awesome! After a quick oatmeal breakfast, we packed up and began our long paddle to our vehicle. Slowly sinking in knee deep in mud with many hours of travel ahead, it took us over half an hour just to find the darned thing! Hot chocolate and tea were had, toes were warmed, and fish was filleted. I tried not to laugh when one young man asked me if they could do the portage in a half-hour or so. Not too far from the muddy take-out and into the main part of the lake, we spotted another abandoned old cabin on the northeastern shore. This looks incredible! Exciting! We had booked to stay that night on Bear Lake, which was only a couple of hours of paddling and portaging away, so it was nice to spend the morning fishing on Bassoon. This became our catch phrase for the remainder of the trip. It's great to see families introducing their kids to the wilderness at such a young age. Regularly scheduled programs and events including excellent children’s programs are available during the summer season. 8-10lb Walleye. While getting another one in that I wanted to add to the stringer, the fish that was already on it gave a splash of his tail and darted away, stringer and all, just as I had untied it. It was a weekday and there were very few boats moving about the lake or people at their camps. It's the highest point of the Trent-Severn Waterway and offers fishing for bass, muskie, northern pike crappie, perch, pan fish, and of course the tasty walleye. However, on our trip we didn’t have any problems with sites being taken. This did not afford us enough time to do the entire 10km round trip to the summit and back. You don’t book a specific campsite; just the lake you intend to stay on. ... Balsam Lake Lodge Campground. It was mid-afternoon and we were hungry, so we jumped into lunch and then set up camp. The last day is a real treat. It was sad to say goodbye to the canoes – unfortunately, canoe tripping leaves my realm of trip planning after October. That night we made bush pizza with summer sausage on naan bread - yum, except that I burnt it a bit. Danny – our in-house fisherman and fish expert – reeled in a bass that he would carry all day for our enjoyment when we finally reached our campsite. The island that we were staying on was actually two islands separated by a narrow little marshy bit. Slowly, we paddled and floated our way back onto Three Mile and Bell Lakes. To make Jeff’s timing, do all of your portages in one go. This looks amazing! A quick paddle across the tiny Frank Lake took us to the 500m portage into Brown's Bay at the south end of Panache Lake. Portages are well kept and the area is not heavily trafficked. We made a leapfrog stop at the summit and went back for our second trip of gear. on 4 Day Canoe Trip in Killarney, Ontario. We’re lucky in Toronto though it’s easy to forget it. Maybe a high speed chase through the forest, and the deer swam to the island in the hopes of escaping a predator, but was unlucky to discover that the hunter was a faster swimmer? Personally, the thorn was chilly toes – why did I choose to wear sandals, and why did I bring no pants? Not long after that, we heard some people coming down the lake and they were aiming for our site. The portage into Balsam Lake descended through...well...a forest of balsam trees. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The Pike will inevitably impact the Musky fishery, but in the meantime great fishing for both species exists on the lake. The afternoon began to cloud up and the fish were not jumping anymore. Park / Campground Usage (day use, camping, etc.) Just before entering the lake, we came within a paddle's length of a hiding otter that darted into the water under our canoe with a splash. On this trip, days looked like this… The portage into High Lake was easy and flat. Yes! We had another great night by the firepit and enjoyed campfire popcorn with a tipple of whiskey. Balsam never really needed a slot, some locals got on a focus group and said the couldn't catch walleye. About 25 feet south of our island site, I cast out my lure and noticed something huge going after it. There was also some light-coloured fur near it. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. We happily found that the island site was vacant and a nice one. Until next season Killarney, it’s been a slice! While munching on our midday feed, we noticed fish jumping out in the bay. Wanting to get moving soon, we practiced catch and release, but had a whole lot of fun doing it. The 2780m portage out of Great Mountain did its impression of the Macho Man Randy Savage by picking us up and suplexing us from the outset. The rain kicked it up a notch just as we started the portage. We contemplated stopping in and poking around but the 3km portage was looming and tempting our mettle. Your pictures are gorgeous! Looks so serene. Anglers have access to the lake by four public boat landings, and one public fishing pier. With birch forests, a bit of elevation change up and over rocky ridges and clear paths, the portages were lovely. For sure! Balsam Lake is part of the Trent-Severn Waterway that extends 386 kilometres through Central Ontario. We made it across with only a couple of close calls, and I definitely knew what it felt like to be a yo-yo by the end of it. As a group, I think the most hilarious moments were had trying to find the first portage on Day 2. It then started elevating again up a very steep rise only to come back down as it neared David Lake. Canoe Trip Base Cost: $12/day for Backcountry Reservations, $12 Reservation Fee, $15-infinity/day for food, $30/day for canoe rental = ~$200 for a 4 day trip The most popular species caught here are Smallmouth bass , Walleye , and Largemouth bass . Use the electronic copy to plan, and then take the hard copy with you. Hooray!! While I’m not sure Greg would consider us friends, I certainly have a friend in him and his business. They are for sale, and can be found on my art shop! Fishermen will find a variety of fish including smallmouth bass and northern pike here. Killarney Kanoes rents boats, barrels, and anything else your group may need for a canoe trip. He warned us about things to watch on our route, areas where we might have trouble, and noted that our route was ambitious. A note on Killarney Kanoes: these guys are by far the best canoe rental company and trip outfitters I have ever had the pleasure of renting from. What a fun and unique experience. Discovery Program. It was relatively flat, dry and well worn. Learning all a, It was sunny for an hour today! Here’s an honest approach with actionable steps you can take to be an awesome person who is helpful and responsible: How To Leave No Trace Do your research on the people, place, culture, and environment, and once you have a plan: tell it to someone! When I looked northward over the bay, fish were jumping everywhere. Here was a sign telling us that we were entering into Killarney Park proper. We didn't have any views of the Lacloche mountains but it was super close to the take-out for the Silhouette Trail and was spacious on a lovely bed of pine needles. It took him a good 10 minutes or so to get that fellow in. MNR did't a short study and found this slot was best. The view of the entire expanse of the lake was incredible, and due to the fact that there are very few sites on the lake, we felt we had this amazing place to ourselves, despite the odd fishing boat that went by now and again. 4.0 (2) Let me know if you’re ever interested in doing or planning one – I’d love to help . I got a couple of smallies and my father hooked into a tiny pike. It really was a pretty spot with the Lacloche mountains dominating its southern shore, albeit a bit gloomy on this particularly cloudy day. We eventually crossed a large beaver dam and the creek looked deep enough for us to get back in and paddle. Maybe he's the guy the lake is named after! Paradise Lake is a lake located just 63 miles from Killarney, in Sudbury District, in the province of Ontario, Canada, near Greater Sudbury, ON. In the morning, we woke up to perfect reflections of the trees on the lake. For a little post-dinner snack, we enjoyed the catch of the day: a little pike to go with the pizza. Getting it on the stringer and thinking of having a fish fry for breakfast, I continued fishing and caught a few more. At the put-in at the east end of Bassoon Lake, we whipped up a quick lunch of summer sausage and cheese in a pita wrap. So many beautiful lakes , I’ve never heard of a canoe trip and it sounds like quite the adventure. Worried, we continued up to the put-in and had a look for ourselves. Soup, sausages, cous cous, and the inevitable glass of red wine were just what we needed. Hearing my dad up and about now, I headed back to camp and made breakfast, after which he joined me and we eventually caught a couple more to eat. Ahead of schedule, we even made the time to have a fire at lunch. Places To See. Canoe tripping requires slightly more gear than a hiking trip. This made for some fantastic mist coming off the lake in the morning. Weed lines are very distinct on this lake, and it is the only lake in the Kawarthas that holds both Pike and Musky. Rounding the bend, passing the fishing camp and into the bay at the south-eastern tip of the lake, we soon made it to the 285 m portage into Goose Lake. In the southern bays we managed to evade most of the wind, but once we passed Pine Island in the north and got that West Wind coming in from the massive western arm of the lake, the wind was pretty much a gale force. High Lake is on the northernmost boundary of Killarney. We paddled the length of Bear, grateful for only a light headwind, and knew we found our spot for the night on site 219 on the south shore -- two-for-two in finding amazing sites so far. It seems to see little canoe tripping traffic and it was great having the lake all to ourselves. A big stone table served many purposes such as topping our pizzas and mulling our wine. Balsam is a real gem on the Kawarthas, offering a good mix of rock, weed, and open water fishing. Day 1 – Thursday August 12th, 2010 After reading Kevin Callan’s book on Killarney and the French River (10-12 times now), the Lake Panache Loop trip is one that has always intrigued me. David Lake was pretty and we were worried about finding a site. It’s much less strenuous than a multi-day hiking trip too, so it’s really accessible! Understand the route and pick a time of year you want to go. He was respectful in not fishing or put-putting around our site, despite the fact that fish were jumping all around it. Join us as we discuss the Ontario Fishing License options, fishing rules and fishing regulations. Day 6 The wind howled through the night and did not appear to want to let up in the morning. We had another great night by the camp fire and got into some whiskey, but never too much! We were very thankful to find that site 104 was vacant. @operatio, This error message is only visible to WordPress admins. Saved from fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net. We could immediately see why it was one of the more popular lakes in the park. I had a good laugh over that one. And the first slot was on the Kawrathas. There was a little rock island nearby and as I paddled closer through the clear water, I noticed that the lake was only about 10-15 feet deep in most of this huge bay. To have that on my backyard would be a dream! It's an easy and very well-trodden path. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Our site was on the east side of the island. On a point, but nestled in a fantastic pine grove, we had wind and sun protection. I’m sure that you’d be able to do this no problems. My first immediate thought was that I was about to hook into a 25 lb Guiness World Record smallmouth when I realized it was a turtle of considerable size. Through Snake Channel, fisherman Danny landed one of the biggest fish I’ve seen caught live. We fished for the next hour or so and caught a number of good-sized bass. Though it is listed as a 440m portage, it traveled up a steep incline of about 60 feet and felt longer.