Fishing at Big Gibson Lake, Renfrew County, Ontario

• Overview

  This water sits in Renfrew County, Ontario. It sits at 153 metres above sea level. The water covers some 78 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline length is close to 6.8 km, and each section fishes a little differently. On our Renfrew County list it sits near the top for size. You are 41 km from Mattawa. The nearest city of size is Gatineau, 210 km away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Big Gibson Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Renfrew County include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Work Big Gibson Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 18°C and January at -13°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Big Gibson Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Gibson Lake, 2.1 km out. Check the position at Big Gibson Lake before loading the car.