Coldwater River: Maiden Voyage - Swift Keewaydin 14 - Spring!

Description

Coldwater River: Maiden Voyage - Swift Keewaydin 14

The Coldwater River, located in north Simcoe County Ontario, is a unique body of water in a transitional landscape, bordering the mixed wood plains to the south and boreal Canadian Shield to the north. The headwaters are located in Copeland Forest, just a few kilometres south of the terminus in Matchedash Bay, a productive wetland found in the south-east corner of Georgian Bay. The upper stretches of the river harbour native brook trout and transplanted steelhead trout and pacific salmon migrate up the river from Georgian Bay in spring and fall, respectively, to spawn.

The Coldwater River passes through the small hamlet of Coldwater, Ontario and merges with the North River a few kilometres downstream in the highly productive Matchedash Bay, adjacent to the village of Waubaushene. Matchedash is an important staging area and breeding ground for countless waterfowl and also provides acres of prime spawning bays for northern pike, walleye, smallmouth and largemouth bass, panfish and coarse fish.

Canoeing and Kayaking the Coldwater River

Besides providing unlimited recreation in the form of fishing, hunting, photography and wildlife viewing, the Coldwater River and it's estuary are fantastic areas for recreational boating, particularly shallow water craft such as canoes and kayaks. Each spring, the Coldwater River is one of the first bodies of water to melt and I take advantage of this to get out on the water with my canoes while the surrounding lakes and rivers are still locked up in ice.

In the fall, the Coldwater River and Matchedash Bay offer sheltered water to paddle while nearby Georgian Bay is whipped up into a frenzy by autumn storms. The river is full of spawning chinook salmon and the bays see a steady stream of staging waterfowl of all shapes and sizes, so there is plenty to see.

The river is very shallow and full of obstructions above Moonstone Road, but one could feasibly paddle a small canoe from Copeland Forest all the way out to Georgian Bay. From Moonstone Road to Waubaushene, the river is at least 10 metres wide and, with a few exceptions, deep enough for any craft. About one kilometre south of Upper Big Chute Road in Coldwater, the river joins with the North River. Turning right, upstream, the North can be paddled for many kilometres, cutting its way through productive farmland close to the Bay and then through quintessential Canadian Shield in the upper reaches. Turning left at the confluence, the river almost immediately widens at Catfish Bay and becomes a channel through the large marsh that is Matchedash Bay. From here, the vast Georgian Bay can be paddled for hundreds of kilometres, but is more suitable for larger craft. However, I have canoed and kayaked most of the shoreline of Georgian Bay for the past thirty years, sticking to the coastline that is protected by thirty thousand islands.

Fishing the Coldwater River

The Coldwater River quickly becomes un-navigable above Moonstone Road (CR19), narrowing to a small creek with a few tributaries. It's here that the salmonids spawn in the shallow gravel-bottomed sections. The river below Moonstone Road is open to fishing year round for rainbow trout and Pacific salmon, neither of which is native to Ontario. Both species are stocked annually throughout the Great Lakes, and have been for well over one hundred years. Natural reproduction does take place (mainly trout), and protecting the fish while they're on the spawning grounds is good management. Generally, fishermen are successful within the town limits of Coldwater starting in March for trout, and late August or early September for salmon. The season on the upper stretches of the river open the last Saturday in April, but by this time most trout have finished spawning and have returned to the lake.

In addition to salmonids, the lower stretches of the river harbour all warm-water species to varying degrees. Walleye travel up the adjoining North River to spawn just after ice-out and a few remain until the season opens on May 1, although most fish will be back out in the deeper waters of Georgian Bay. Bass, pike, crappie, bluegill, perch, catfish, bullhead, gar and carp can be caught all season long.

Tags: iMovie,canoeing,lake,river,fishing,ducks,self reliance,solo

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