Setting out from the dock at Viamede Resort, I round a navigational buoy and head toward a hidden shoal. A white, plastic bleach bottle warns unwary boaters of the rocks below.
For my wife Lois and I, the bottle marks our stop for our first attempt at fishing Stoney Lake. Lois casts a 3-inch tube jig. On the retrieve, she says “I’m hung up on bottom…no it was a fish.” Offering condolences, I immediately cast to the same spot and hook a 2-pound smallmouth bass, which makes an acrobatic leap before throwing the jig. “Serves you right,” my fishing partner whispers.
For the next couple of hours we try different shoals within sight of Viamede. All produce perch, bluegill, and chunky smallmouth. A husband and wife troll by and suggest moving out 100 feet will put us over walleye, but we’ll save that spot until evening.
Back at the resort dock, I reflect on why I haven’t fished Stoney Lake before. Having spent multiple times on all of the other Kawartha Lakes, Stoney had never been a priority, primarily because of its reputation for being a “prop eater.” On our visit, however, I’m equipped with a quality sonar and a navigational map, and have no problems getting around safely between shoals.
After lunch at the dockside Boathouse Pub, I chat with Blake Morton, who works at the Viamede Marina. He invites me to fish for smallmouth at a couple of his hot spots after work. We only have an hour, but catch and release five good smallies in the 1 to 3-pound range. That night, Lois and I have supper in the lodge diningroom, and watch local anglers fish for walleye and smallmouth.
Steeped in history
Stoney Lake is 20 miles long and contains over 1,000 islands. In the 1850s, lumbering opened the area and it wasn’t long before settlers arrived, followed by cottagers in the late 1800s. Steamships were the primary source of travel around the lake until roads were constructed in the early 1900s.
Viamede, known as the Grand Lady of the Kawarthas, started out as a lumber camp over 140 years ago and has evolved into a premier resort. It encompasses 2,000 feet of shoreline and 165 acres of pristine forest.
The resort is open year-round and offers a variety of activities, including ice skating, cross-country skiing, curling, snowshoeing, and hockey. Ice fishing is also available for perch, bluegill, and crappie.
Ben Samann, the manager at Viamede, invites me to fish with him the next morning. Lois chooses to fish the shoreline for panfish. Between fish, Samann tells me about the excellent muskie fishery and the largemouth bass population, which we haven’t even touched.
“The amazing thing about Stoney is that whenever you come across a spot that looks like it has fish, it always does,” says Samann, after we experience a double header on smallmouth.
Back at the shoreline, Lois shows me a dozen big bluegills she’s caught from shore. After cleaning the fish, we walk to the the Viamede chapel, a popular wedding venue. Eight wild turkeys emerge from the bush to make us aware that we are intruding on their territory.
Other attractions
While visiting Viamede, a number of family side trips available. Petroglyphs Provincial Park is located to the northeast end of the lake. A site, often referred to as the teaching rock, contains over 1,000 symbolic rock carvings, the largest number in Canada, drawn by natives more than a thousand years ago.
Another point of interest is the Warsaw Caves Conservation Area to the south of Stoney Lake. When I was a high school geography teacher, I took my students there on field trips. It was a favourite destination. The underground limestone caves formed during the last ice age and extend over 100 yards. Bring head lamps and old clothes. That is, if you can pull yourself away from the great fishing on Stoney Lake.
CONTACT INFO
Viamede Resort
595 Mount Julian – Viamede Rd.
Woodview, ON K0L 3E0
1-800-461-1946
www.viamede.com
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