Ashbridges Bay offers some of the best fishing opportunities in Toronto. Located at the bottom of Coxwell and Lakeshore Blvd and beside Woodbine Beach, anglers have access to fishing in the bay through Martin Goodman Trail. Ashbridges Bay has access to TTC and has many parking lots along with public washrooms throughout the park. The bay also has two cement boat launching areas available, as well as a fishing guide at the boat launch area to inform you of the amount of fish from Lake Ontario that is safe to eat.
The bay has great seasonal and yearlong fishing. From shore, during certain times of the year, anglers are able to catch brown trout, salmon, lake trout, rainbow trout and white perch. To catch a majority of these types of fish casting out off the rocks with spoons while looking for schools of fish, during specific seasons, delivers the best results. There are many different types of fish available year-long at Ashbridges Bay, but is best known for the pike fishing.
Fishing picks up in late September when the seasonal fish come within shores reach. Search for deep pockets within the rocks the schools try to stick to the cooler waters. Try using spinners, spoons and minnow baits without leaders, as they are smart fish and can usually spot the leaders. Trout especially, are very picky and it is unlikely for them to bite with a leader on. For those with access to boats get additional opportunities along the shoreline to get great salmon and trout activity.
Pike are abundant throughout the Marina area. Any time in the early morning it is common to see pike catching prey on the top of the water. Anglers have the best access to these fishing spots through the Martin Goodman trail, where they can cast from the boardwalk towards the Marina. The pike are generally moving slowly through the middle of the bay. It is common to spot a pike when the water is calm just beneath the surface of the water. Anglers have the most luck using spinners and spoons as well as minnow baits. Pike are not open all year; they are closed from April to the first weekend in May. Be sure to check with your fishing zone to ensure the fish you are targeting is in season.
Carp fishing is good at Ashbridges Bay although anglers have difficulty targeting them due to the depth of the water. The protected bay area is a perfect spot for carp to scavenge the bottom for food. Carp can be seen in the marina sometimes coming up to the surface and then quickly descending again. Cast from the docks of Martin Goodman trail with heavy jigs with sweet corn on them. Heavy jigs work best because the current is sometimes very strong and will push lighter jigs along the bottom.
Fishing for largemouth bass is excellent at Ashbridges Bay. South of Lake Shore BLVD on Martin Goodman trail is a hotspot for anglers looking for bass. Keeping to the North part of the marina bass are often caught in the weedy shallows. Action is great when they are open in late June and stay pretty active till the fall. Using artificial frogs, crawfish, and spinners is perfect for largemouth bass. Casting through the weeds and lily pads attracts decent sized which can reach up to five pounds. Along the east side of the marina, the bay is also a great location for smallmouth bass. The area is rich in weeds and algae which make perfect spawning areas for smallmouth bass.
Sunfish are located throughout the bay and are close to the shore to avoid being eaten by largemouth bass or pike in the area. Although the action is not as great as Grenadier Pond, sunfish are scattered throughout the bay. Sunfish are great action for small kids using worms and slip floats or bobbers. Casting out around ten to fifteen feet of Martin Goodman trail will deliver the best results.
Perch are in the same spots as the sunfish at Ashbridges Bay. Staying to the shallows near Martin Goodman trail to avoid predatory fish, such as largemouth bass and northern pike. Perch are not as common as they used to be due to the overfishing of Ashbridges Bay. To catch perch, use worms and jigs also small tube baits and very small minnow baits for larger perch will be effective.
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