Fishing in Bruce Peninsula National Park

Bruce Peninsula National Park occupies the tip of the peninsula that divides Lake Huron from Georgian Bay, and the fishing inside it reflects that geography — a mix of clear inland lakes and the edge of two very large bodies of water.

The park is not a destination for big-water trolling; it's a place where you fish on foot or by paddle, in lakes that are small, cold, and transparent. Cyprus Lake is the anchor.

The campground there puts you within easy reach of both Cyprus and the adjoining Cameron Lake, and the fishing in both runs to walleye, smallmouth bass, and perch.

The water is very clear — light line and smaller presentations work better here than heavy tackle. Walleye tend to come in the evening on live bait; smallmouth respond well to leeches.

No gas motors are permitted on Cyprus Lake, so if you're not in a canoe or a car-top, you're fishing from shore or wading. Farther up the highway, another section of the park holds a small stream that carries brook trout.

A small hook and worm is the traditional approach, and it works. This is tight, brushy water — bring minimal gear and expect to work for your fish.

Lake Huron and Georgian Bay border the park, and anglers willing to fish big water can find salmon, muskie, and bass along the peninsula's shoreline.

That fishing requires appropriate equipment for open-water conditions and is a different undertaking than the interior lakes. Fishing inside a national park means fishing under federal rules.

Parks Canada issues its own fishing permit, which is required in addition to your Ontario licence — check with the park directly for current requirements and any waters that carry special restrictions.

The regulations exist to protect fish populations in a place where the water is clear enough that you can see exactly what you're dealing with. The peninsula has rattlesnakes.

That's not a metaphor — the stream section in the northern part of the park is real snake country. Watch where you step.