Located off of Lakeshore on the border of Toronto and Mississauga, Marie Curtis Park offers great year round fishing. The park also offers some seasonal fishing where salmon and trout travel through the park up Etobicoke Creek. The west side of the park offers great parking, however the road is quite uneven and lower cars often scrape the ground going through. There are also two boat launching ramps on the west side. On the east side of Etobicoke Creek, there is a playground and additional parking available. Marie Curtis Park also has two cement boat launches, which provide access to Lake Ontario.
Anglers have decent luck on both sides of the park. With a deep entrance to Lake Ontario at the mouth of the creek, the park attracts many species around the mouth and upstream through the park. There are many spots along Etobicoke Creek where anglers can cast. At the mouth of the creek the current coming into the creek can be quite intense which both attracts and detours some species from the mouth. Upstream fifty meters from the mouth is Waterfront Trail Bridge. North of the bridge is a perfect spot for carp and brown bullhead.
A common catch at Marie Curtis Park, catfish provide great year-round fishing. They are as abundant as carp throughout the park and are located south of the bridge to the river mouth. Anglers boast the most success using jigs with night crawlers along the bottom of the water. Heavy weights should also be used to try and keep the bait in the same spot. Catfish should be removed with pliers as they often swallow the hook.
Carp action has excellent carp fishing throughout the majority of the year. When the weather is nice, the shoreline fills with anglers in search of carp. The shore of the Etobicoke River is mostly smooth along the side allowing for lawn chairs. Carp have the most luck using sweet corn along the bottom of the river. Cast in the middle with weights added as sometimes the current can be strong at Marie Curtis Park. Leave the bait on the bottom and wait ten minutes. If no bite after ten minutes add new corn and cast in a different location. Carp feed off the bottom and are very sensitive to movement which is why patience is key when carp fishing. Carp at Marie Curtis Park approach fifteen pounds and can be caught all year long. Carp have very sensitive mouths which can be easily torn. So using a lot of drag and a net when landing is strongly suggested.
Pike can be caught occasionally around the mouth of the Etobicoke River. Pike stay close to the mouth of Etobicoke River, to catch fish trying to go out to Lake Ontario. Pike are fairly small here, however, they have reached up to twenty-four inches in length. Casting with spoons, minnow baits, and crank baits in the early morning is ideal. Pike can often be seen at the mouth of Lake Ontario jumping above the water while attacking prey during the early morning.
Smallmouth bass also make their way into Marie Curtis Park through the Etobicoke River in search of a spawning location. The mouth provides some tree cover and cooler water, which is why they are attracted to this area. After spawning when the season opens in late June, many smallmouth bass stay in the area and provide excellent angling action. Anglers have the best luck early morning casting with spinners, small minnow baits as well as some artificial lures that resemble crayfish and frogs. Also, night crawlers are excellent for smallmouth as well. Casting in shallow shady areas when the sun is out and early morning always produces the best results for bass. The occasional largemouth bass also comes in the area but are not as common as smallmouth. Smallmouth average around two pounds at Marie Curtis Park, but right after spawn they can reach up to four pounds.
Sunfish find their way into the mouth of the Etobicoke River and are mainly located from the mouth to the first bridge. Sunfish can be caught on worms with smaller hooks as they have small mouths. When casting use a float to keep the bait off the bottom. Sunfish will stay close to the shoreline to avoid the predators in the area such as pike and bass.
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