Bennetts Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Bennetts Lake in Renfrew County, Ontario. This is pine and birch country. This is a pocket water of some 3 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Our Renfrew County list holds plenty of bigger water. Supplies mean a trip to Cobden, 9.3 km off. For a city, Gatineau is 89 km off. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Bennetts Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Renfrew County include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The near bank of Bennetts Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 19°C; by January the average is down near -13°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Plan any trip to Bennetts Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Recorded parking is 1.1 km off, far enough to travel light. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. The nearest alternative is Stones Lake, 1 km out. Rules at Bennetts Lake are worth checking on the day.