Fanshawe Lake

[champ]

Would like to try area. Any tips or pointers on what there is in there? I know of walleye and large mouth, but is there any other targetable species? Have a 12' tin boat and it seems like the inland lakes are my only option seeing how we have wind warnings every other hour...

Thanks

Brad

 

[Deleted member 5866]

https://www.fanshaweconservationarea.ca/blank-4 Go to this website and click on the link in the second paragraph. "The Fanshawe CA Fishing Guide has lots of information on fishing at Fanshawe, including fish species and a map of the reservoir." It'll give you the species present in the reservoir. Personally haven't had very good success from shore there, have only caught 1 walleye, and 1 small mouth and that was 3 years ago, but I also don't go there very often because of the cost to get in, but I have been told that near the dam and at the back where the river comes into the reservoir is supposed to be really good if you have a boat. Assuming you know this already, but bass doesn't open until the 24th so don't target them yet.

 

[mick]

I will ask huntin buddy again where he fishes on fanshawe...he catches good size walleyes and lots ..i seen pictures of a few of his catches...he uses jointed shad raps fishing from shore and from a boat...he told me the OB motor has to be under 10hp (9.9 works)...for me I am not interested...

 

[Deleted member 5866]

It's true, OB has to be less than 10hp. I got the walleye I mentioned by the dam where the canoe launch is. Good size, about 2 lbs. The small mouth I got at the back of the reservoir and it was about 1 pound.

 

[Dmanwithnoname]

Lots of small walleye there. That was last weekend. Caught 6 like that.

 

[Red Hering]

Would like to try area. Any tips or pointers on what there is in there? I know of walleye and large mouth, but is there any other targetable species? Have a 12' tin boat and it seems like the inland lakes are my only option seeing how we have wind warnings every other hour...

Thanks

Brad

There are also some good size Pike there,to keep you and other Angler's ready for some action.Tight Lines,& Practice Live Release.

 

[Red Hering]

I will ask huntin buddy again where he fishes on fanshawe...he catches good size walleyes and lots ..i seen pictures of a few of his catches...he uses jointed shad raps fishing from shore and from a boat...he told me the OB motor has to be under 10hp (9.9 works)...for me I am not interested...

Outboard Motor's under 10 H.P., is an Excellent Rule on FANSHAWE Lake.

 

[gibbies]

That lake gets a really bad blue algae bloom during the summer! Not sure how often it happens but it can be nasty!

 

[Dmanwithnoname]

Catch and release no matter what in fanshawe

 

[mick]

ya catch and release is a safe practice ....I would agree that the upper thames is a little cleaner then the Thames below London...I am suprised any fish can survive in the lower thames...lol...back in the day many of us caught thames river spring walleyes...and yep we ate them..
later in the season we would walk the rapids at UWO radio towers casting rapalas for nonstop small mouth action...one day I remember the stench of londons sewage...I ended up with a nasty itchy skin rash on my legs right at the waterline from walkin/fishin the river..that was the last of that...

 

[Red Hering]

ya catch and release is a safe practice ....I would agree that the upper thames is a little cleaner then the Thames below London...I am suprised any fish can survive in the lower thames...lol...back in the day many of us caught thames river spring walleyes...and yep we ate them..
later in the season we would walk the rapids at UWO radio towers casting rapalas for nonstop small mouth action...one day I remember the stench of londons sewage...I ended up with a nasty itchy skin rash on my legs right at the waterline from walkin/fishin the river..that was the last of that...

@mick,I usually Fish the Delaware area before and after the Walleye Season when the water is cold,and then after that I will try other places above the Greenway Sewage Plant in London when the river becomes warm and low,& by then I will fish for Bass,(Catch & Release),once the Bass Season opens.

 

[mick]

good shooting @Red Hering on catchin walleyes....ya the guide says you can eat a meal of walleye and other fish weekly from the river...I ate my thames river walleye limit years ago...lol. Ya the guide.. is just a guide.
ya the sewage treatment plants were and are not 100 % efficient....the number 0ne reason why beaches are closed is the e coli contaminents washing downstream from sewage plants. The St. Thomas sewage plant emptys treated sewage into Kettle creek and it flows down stream to Port Stanley and slowly dissipates into the mouth of Lake Erie. Many of beach goers would complain of exposure and rash to skin eyes and ears. I myself picked up ear infection swimming off the beach with my GF. During the summer Water quality tests are peformed by health officials and periodically they close down public beaches because of the harmful bacteria.

Ya it sounds disgusting because it is disgusting.

 

[can't miss]

I'll try to be brief because I've ragged this before, fishing before the Green way sewage plant really isn't a safe guide to consumption. No matter what branch of the Thames, your fishing, is where other's poo??? St Mary's, Tavistock, Woodstock, Ingersoll, Sratford and a dozen other smaller hamlets, treated and un-treated poo is coming your way? Thousand's of acre's of the Thames water shed, are sprayed with factory farm poo, ton's of it, constantly, and now TO human sludge is cheap, let's dump that on too?
Field tiles, 3.8 ft underground, to the drainage ditches, to the river, to the lake? Nobody speak's on this, self included, but it's so obvious.
Txk

 

[mick]

nobody speaks of this ...is because we accepted the fact we all live in a polluted enviroment...it is what it is..nothing suprises how bad it really is when we all know its getting worse...lol

if you think the Thames is bad....what about the Detroit Niagara St. clair rivers..the americans have a different take on great lakes fish consumption...one report stated 6 fish meals a year...that study must of been below a sewage plant...lol

 

[Cam Reeves]

Took a trip to komoka provincial park on the Thames the other day. Was trying for some walleyes but caught a rock bass and a smallmouth...of course the bass were released. I also had a decent gar pike on untill it got to shore then it spit it out.
The water was pretty clear while i was there and didnt have any river stentch to it. I know that it has come a long way in the last 10 years and for the most part it is a very healthy river. If i catch a nice fish, i will usually bring it to the table, i javent came across any wormy or bad tasting fish yet, but i do pick and choose which ones come home.

 

[Josh Roelofsen]

Fanshawe is decent for smallies/largies and eyes if you know your stuff It's not easy fishing but can be rewarding. Targeting offshore/unseen structure will pay off in comparison to other lakes in the area.....avoid the horrible stagnant water issue that inevitably comes with the hot weather tho Please consider releasing any walleye as the lake is no longer stocked and as such is dependant on mediocre spawning habitat. They will be easily (and inevitably IMO) wiped out.....

Josh

 

[Josh Roelofsen]

Oh! Almost forgot......lookout for the rowers! As long as your off the marked course you should be safe IMO but that isn't the case :s They'll take you out even if your anchored in my experience! They apparently have unlimited right of way irregardless of the situation! Lol

Josh

 

[Red Hering]

Oh! Almost forgot......lookout for the rowers! As long as your off the marked course you should be safe IMO but that isn't the case :s They'll take you out even if your anchored in my experience! They apparently have unlimited right of way irregardless of the situation! Lol

Josh

Very True @Josh Roelofsen.Scary at times,& I think that I will be wearing a whistle around my neck to get their attention the next time!

 

[dave w]

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@mick,I usually Fish the Delaware area before and after the Walleye Season when the water is cold,and then after that I will try other places above the Greenway Sewage Plant in London when the river becomes warm and low,& by then I will fish for Bass,(Catch & Release),once the Bass Season opens.

delaware in the spring is nice.nothing like london.the major run are only in there a few weeks.fine eating..

 

[DaveJ]

Sewage in the water actually has little impact on the fish as far as consumption. You run a greater risk from washing your hands in the water. The Thames River system is however flooded with pesticide and herbicide runoff and that for sure can cause contamination issues with fish. I can only imagine what else is finding its way into the system from the city. London is still the major culprit with pollution... Phosphorous, Aluminum and Bacteriological quality are the parameters that exceed surface water criteria in the Thames River because of the city. The CCME surface water criterion for nitrates is not being met in the Thames. Too bad because the Thames has one of the most diversified fish populations in Ontario.