Fishing Big Rat Lake in Renfrew County, Ontario

• Overview

  Big Rat Lake is a Renfrew County water, in Ontario. Elevation runs to 111 metres. The water covers some 34 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The full circuit measures close to 3.2 km on foot. It ranks high for size among our Renfrew County listings. The closest town, Deep River, is 5.3 km distant. Beyond it, Chalk River at 5.8 km and Petawawa at 23 km. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Big Rat Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Renfrew County include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and rock bass. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Fish Big Rat Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 19°C on average, January about -13°C. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Climate figures give an open season running late April to early December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. At Big Rat Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Little Rat Lake, 1 km away. Signs at Big Rat Lake carry more weight than any list.