Collingwood

[Airs24]

Does anyone know what Zone Collingwood is part of?  I have to go pick up a family member their just before Christmas and wouldn't mind fishing the bay if the regulations permit it.  I suppose it's fine because even thought it's Georgian Bay it's still considered part of the Great Lakes water basin which should be open year round.  Just want to make sure though.

[Bellybuster]

hope you don't plan on ice fishing. There won't be safe ice there yet except maybe in the harbour.
  It's zone 16

[Bellybuster]

just to add...I don't remember safe ice outside the harbour in Collingwood for many many years

[Airs24]

Thanks for the info...  Last year when I went up just before Christmas (around the 20th), I took my auger and Fish Finder out in the harbour.  It was about 6-7inches thick and I did mark fish but didn't do any actual fishing....  I suppose it's full mostly with Perch  and perhaps some trout eh?  Any Walleye in the Harbor?

Aaron

[Bellybuster]

no walleye that I'm aware of and not many trout caught in there either. Lots of small perch, have never caught any biggies there.
   I would suggest going over to Cooks Bay if you're coming up the 400. Much better fishing

[johnnyb]

I plunked down in the harbour for an hour last year...saw a couple very nice sized perch show up on the camera, but between the 50kms/hr  winds and my son not being the MOST patient  we didn't last long enough to get them interested.  Spoke to a local as we packed up, and he said it was the best winter for perch he'd seen in 20 years...lots of 'em, and lots of jumbos...he chalked it up to there being enough time elapsed since they last dredged the place.
 

[Bellybuster]

I'd love to see some jumbos in there. been goin there for years as a quick outing and have yet to see a jumbo let alone anything over about 8". Would be great if it did pick up. last dredging of that harbour was a contaminated silt removal in 1993 that created the park at the end. Collingwood has the potential to be a great fishery but there is nada being done or even looked at there. They are so focused on the ski esorts that they forget about the greatest resource they have...Georgian Bay

[Airs24]

I think I'm going to bring my ice gear when I go up next weekend!   I would love to hook into some jumbo's pending the ice is thick enough...   I'm really looking forward to it as I really have the "Itch" and I can't start fishing around the Peterborough area until January 1st...

[Bellybuster]

The Nottawasaga In wasaga Beach has ice right now about 1" thick. If the weather holds cold there may be enuff to fish on next weekend in the harbour but I'd be careful. If the tiny little shack is not out there the ice is not safe. Collingwood is notorious for unsafe Ice right along the edge where you'd walk out.
   The tiny shack is my indicator of safe ice. That guy has been going out there for 20+ years

[icejunky]

Good luck man let me know how you make out

[Airs24]

Made it up to Collingwood today and got a solid 3 hours of fishing in the harbor! The ice is over 4" thick and that is where the good news ends!  I drilled over 20 holes and didn't mark one fish the entire time.  I was also the only one on the ice, but I had lots of on lookers and inquiries!  I'm really disappointed but might give it one more shot when I have to go back up to take grandma home...   

[Bellybuster]

that's typical Collingwood Harbour