Stoney Lake, Ontario (Kawarthas)

[T-Bone]

Heading up to Stoney Lake outside of Lakefield, Ontario in late-June and was looking for any insights from any walleye fisherman with some experience on this body of water. Spent a week up there last year during the same time and had little success. I'm sure the 100 degree temps didn't help much that week, but we were unable to find a patter or even anyone that had any idea on typical holding locations. I have a basic depth map, but I don't believe it is detailed enough even to "read" it for likely locations.

Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

[Toolman]

T-bone,

Did we speak about Stoney in a thread about a year ago? I used to fish Stoney every summer for a week, ranging from mid-June to early-July. We stayed at Little's Cottages on Gilcrest Bay. Went there every year from the early 80's to a couple of years ago. I've got marked up maps somewhere. I mostly remember spots by their given names (painted on the rocks). I'll elaborate if you would like. E-mail might be easier.

Tim

[T-Bone]

Not that I recall...I'll have to review my notes, but I don't think so. I went into that trip practically blind...and it showed with only one significant (4 lbs +) walleye all week. It was hot though and the fish were deep-deep-deep in the weeds.

Please email me at the following address. Any insights you can provide will be of great help. We stay at Pine Vista Resort...also in Gilchrist Bay...

bgfalcon87-eorders@yahoo.com

Thanks Toolman!

[bigfish1965]

Pine Vista gives you easy access to the mouth of Eels Creek at night. You can also run over to Burleigh Falls and fish Horseshoe Bay and surrounding areas for musky. There's also great fishing around 'Hells Gate'. Stay in the channels unless you brought a spare lower unit with you! There are great hydrgraphic maps of the lake around. Get one...use it!
Way too many great places to mention. We did catch a sweet 30 pound musky directly across the bay from Pine Vista alongside a small stack of lilly pads.

[T-Bone]

Thanks bigfish. I appeciate your insights and just got off the phone with fed-pubs out of Toronto and got a good depth map of Stoney. I also have a JVB Adventure Map of the lake...not as detailed but decent.

If you could and have the time to share more, please throw out a few more general locations that have proved fruitful in the past for walleyes, muskies, or smallmouths...I can then study the map and pinpoint the exact structure. Email me at the address indicated above if that works better for you.

As I said, last year we went in blind and got almost no help on locations from anyone at Pine Vista. Nice people, great resort...but I don't think the "fishing crowd" is their target or specialty.

Thanks again.

[Toolman]

T-bone,

Check your e-mail.

bigfish1965,

I assume you either live there or fish it occasionally? I have seen some incredibly huge muskies in Stoney. My biggest landed is about a 20 lbr. A friend of mine (as reliable a source as any fisherman can be) hooked and played to the boat (before it broke him off) what he believed to be a 40+lb class muskie back in the mid-1990's. I tend to believe him as he is a tee-totaler! Wish I could have seen that. I miss going up to Stoney but it was really starting to develop as many lakes within reasonable driving distance of large metro areas tend to do. When we first started going there, it seemed to be on the "fringe" of the wilderness with very few houses and only a few scattered cabins.

My tourney partner still goes yearly (early July). He told me that last year that the weeds appeared to have immerged and then Zebra Mussels atached to them and basically flattened them so there were litterally no weeds!. He said there were a few scattered weed pockets here and there (hard to believe in Stoney)! Any idea if his theory is correct? Thanks.

Tim

[bigfish1965]

I actually found the opposite to be true. The zebras allowed more light penetration via clearer water and the weed growth was rather heavy.It may be a year to year thing.Sotny seemed to always be very cyclicle to me.One year bass are everywhere, next is walleye, next is musky.

[Toolman]

bigfish,

I agree with the zebra observation. I think in the last 15 years the lake water has cleared, maybe due to increased acid levels. This seemed to really allow the weeds to flourish. Some of the bays that used to be really good patches of sparse weeds had become choked. Once the zebras took hold it really got clear. I haven't been there for a couple of years, but was just reporting what he told me from last year (July). It would be wierd to see Gilcrest Bay not solid with weeds!

Tim

[bigfish1965]

T-Bone..I sent you a map..did you get it?