In this guide to ice fishing at Lake Simcoe, you will learn the worst mistake you can make while out on the ice. You will also learn about the fishing license requirements for Canadians and Canadians. You will learn the most popular type of fish in Simcoe Lake, as well as what type of ice fishing supplies you need to have a successful trip.

Lake Simcoe and Ice Fishing

No matter how much experience you have with ice fishing, you must always test the ice before deciding to fish in the area. If you accidentally set up your fishing space on weak ice, it could lead to disaster for you. Your body’s weight and your supplies will cause the ice to break and go plunging into the water. The lake’s water is usually below freezing temperatures, so you only have minutes to get out of the water and into a hot bath before hypothermia sets in.

You should also know about traps for ice fishing, so you do not have to sit out there all day in the cold. People also like to set up ice traps that they leave in the water and then come back to check the trap the next day to see if you caught anything. If you have experience with trapping fish, then it will come in handy when setting up a trap underneath the ice.

Do You Need a Fishing License?

Lake Simcoe is located in Ontario, Canada. According to Canadian law, any person that wants to fish must have a fishing license to fish in Canadian lakes, streams, rivers, and coasts. 

Citizens of Canada

If you do not have an all-encompassing Canadian fishing license, then you will need at least an Ontario fishing license. For Ontario residents, a one-year fishing license only costs $26.57. But Canadian residents who do not live in Ontario can pay an all-encompassing license of 1 year of fishing for $53.81.

Non-citizens 

If not a Canadian resident, but you wish to ice fish at Lake Simcoe, then you can purchase a non-Canadian resident fishing license. One day of fishing will cost you $23.86, but for eight days of fishing, you will have to pay $52.38.

Under 16

If a person is 16 years old or younger, no matter if you are a resident or not of Canada, you do not have to have a fishing license to fish in Ontario or Canadian lakes, rivers, or coasts.

Best Time to Fish at Lake Simcoe

For ice fishing to be safe, the lake needs time to freeze over and become one solid chunk of ice. So the best time to go to Lake Simcoe for ice fishing is in January to February. If you go during earlier times of the year, like in November, the ice will not be frozen over yet, and there is a real possibility of you crashing through the ice and falling into the freezing water below.

If you enjoy watching ice fishing competitions, you probably already know that this lake hosts the Canadian ice fishing championship.

Lake Simcoe Freezing Slowly

There are a wide variety of fish in Lake Simcoe, and they are accessible by ice fishing, but only in the deep of winter. Many people travel to Lake Simcoe to fish for jumbo perch, lake trout, and even white fish. 

Surprisingly, the lake does not freeze over all at once—different sections of the lake freeze over at different times. The speed at which they freeze depends on how shallow the water is. Lake Simcoe is not the same depth all over, so areas with shallow water will be the first to freeze over, while deeper areas will take longer to freeze over.

Ice Fishing Supplies

Before you begin to fish oh, there are a few things you will need to have

• An ice pick so that you can dig through the ice
• A powerful and charged ice auger can easily be cut through the thick ice and the lake water below
• Fresh bait so that fish who are slow to react will be able to notice the bait in the water
• A chair because there is no way you’ll be able to sit down on the frozen ice for more than 10 seconds
• An extra line in case the line in your reel snaps
• If you have a serious amount of room in your budget, ice fishing electronics can save you a lot of time.They can track fish in the water so you won’t have to wonder and guess if you’re in the correct area. These devices also have GPS tracking
• A bucket to place all of your catch in so you can easily take your food home

Where to Find Fishing Supply Stores

Because Lake Simcoe is right next to Lake Huron, one of the Great Lakes, there are a ton of fishing Supply shops around it. But that does not mean that every fishing supply store will have ice fishing gear. Many people have never ice fished, but they do fish on regular lakes and rivers, if you need a store with ice fishing gear, you will have to search a bit. 

But we have gone ahead and done a little research for you so that you can quickly locate the closest ice fishing supply store to you and get your day going. The fishing supply stores that also carry ice fishing gear are:

• Casey’s fish huts on Lake Simcoe
• Dave’s fish Hut
• The Skippers tackle box
• The Bait Bucket
• Simcoe tackle

When creating this list, we realized that many of these stores are not open on Sundays, so you will want to buy up stock on Saturday or wait until Monday to give these stories of the visit.

Conclusion

The most dangerous accident that can happen to you when ice fishing is not properly the ice’s strength. If the ice does not form correctly, you will slide into the freezing water below. The best time to go to Lake Simcoe for ice fishing is after the new year, so around January or February. If you can purchase it, a fishing electronic can help you detect fish and map them on your GPS coordinates for later reference. Mini tackle and bait shops that sell ice fishing gear are not open on Sundays.