Blanco Lake Fishing in Renfrew County, Ontario

• Overview

  This water sits in Renfrew County, Ontario. The setting is rolling bush on every side. Roughly 12 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. There is roughly 1.9 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Chalk River sits 21 km from here and is the nearest stop. It is 153 km to Gatineau, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Blanco Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Renfrew County include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Blanco Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 19°C for July and -13°C for January. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Blanco Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Number One Lake sits 2.6 km off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Blanco Lake before loading the car.