Fishing Barton Lake in Frontenac County, Ontario

• Overview

  Barton Lake is one of the Frontenac County waters in Ontario. Around the bank it is rolling bush. Roughly 11 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. A shoreline of some 2.6 km keeps the choices simple. It lies lower than most water we list in Ontario. Sharbot Lake is the closest town at 11 km. Kingston sits 54 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Barton Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Frontenac County list pumpkinseed, bluegill, rock bass and smallmouth bass. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Barton Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -10°C to 20°C. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. On average, mid April opens the water and early December closes it again. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan any trip to Barton Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Abbott Lake, 0.6 km away. Confirm access to Barton Lake locally before you travel.