Freshwater Fishing.
Chandos Lake on the township's east side carries lake trout, smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, and northern pike under Fisheries Management Zone 15 rules; the deep Shield lakes inside Kawartha Highlands — Anstruther, Long, Wolf, Crab, and the rest of the interior — round out a multi-species cold-water fishery, with the lake-trout populations in the deeper lakes the marquee draw.
The brief.
FMZ 15 covers the Haliburton Highlands and Kawarthas and sits within the Central Bait Management Zone — live or dead baitfish and leeches may not be transported into or out of the BMZ. Zone-wide seasons: lake trout January 1 to September 30 (S-2 / C-1); walleye January 1 to March 31 plus the 3rd Saturday of May to December 31 (S-4 / C-2, max one over 46 cm); brook trout January 1 to September 30 (S-5 / C-2); smallmouth and largemouth bass 4th Saturday of June to November 30 (S-6 / C-2 combined).
Many waterbodies within FMZ 15 carry waterbody-specific overrides — confirm before fishing. Chandos Lake has a municipal boat launch; the interior Kawartha Highlands lakes are paddle-in fishing — fold the fishing day around a backcountry trip rather than expecting a road-access launch on most lakes.
2. places.
- 01
Chandos Lake
Multi-species lake on the township's east side near Apsley; lake trout, smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike; municipal Sandy Beach and public boat launch.
Map ↗ - 02
Anstruther, Long, Wolf, Crab and other Kawartha Highlands interior lakes
Backcountry-fishing waters within FMZ 15; deep Shield lakes hold the cold-water lake-trout fishery; access by canoe and portage from the park's three main put-ins.
Map ↗
Today's read.
Cool but comfortable for layered effort · light winds.
By the book.
- 01FMZ 15 is part of the Central Bait Management Zone — live or dead baitfish/leeches may not be transported into or out of the BMZ.Source ↗
- 02Lake trout: January 1 to September 30 (S-2 / C-1).Source ↗
- 03Walleye: January 1 to March 31 and 3rd Saturday of May to December 31 (S-4 / C-2, max one over 46 cm).Source ↗
- 04Smallmouth + largemouth bass: 4th Saturday of June to November 30 (S-6 / C-2 combined).Source ↗
