TORONTO FISHING SPOTS

Located at the foot of Brimley Road (south of Kingston Road), Bluffer’s Park is appropriately named, as it sits squarely at the bottom of the Scarborough Bluffs. It is easily accessible by car, with plenty of parking near the twin concrete launch ramps. It is also accessible by public transit, though from the bus stop on Kingston Road anglers will have to walk south on Brimley Road for approximately 1.5 kilometres in order to reach the water. The walk down the steep hill is about 12 minutes, and often double that for the return uphill trip. It is not a trek for those with weak hearts, lungs or legs.

Bluffer’s attracts pike and panfish in spring, but a generally infertile lake bottom in this area limits the number of fish it attracts. The dominant feature at Bluffer’s Park is the large, 500-slip marina and double launching ramp. Bluffer’s is a very popular launching site for offshore salmon anglers, particularly in summer and early fall. The close proximity of steep underwater cliffs that attract salmon through the summer makes it a busy place from June through September.

A with a few other locations on the Lake Ontario shoreline, the waters off Bluffer’s Park can produce surprisingly good shore fishing for trout and salmon in the summer months after prolonged offshore winds blow the warm surface water offshore, creating a temperature inversion when the cold bottom water wells in to replace it. When this happens, trout and salmon follow the cold water and occasionally come within casting range of shore. The action seldom lasts more than a few days, but when inversions occur they can provide tremendous fishing. Watch for several days of strong offshore winds, and be ready to go as soon as a drop in surface temperature occurs. You can monitor surface water temperatures online, at www.coastwatch.msu.edu 

Shore fishing becomes much more consistent once the water cools in September, and salmon begin actively following the lake shorelines in search of spawning streams. Casting with spoons, spinners and minnowbaits produces chinook and coho salmon, along with bonus rainbow trout, brown trout and the occasional lake trout. The action remains fairly good right through till freeze-up.