Bolands Lake in Renfrew County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Renfrew County in Ontario is where Bolands Lake sits. Height above sea level is 429 metres. It measures about 23 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The bank runs about 2.5 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. The closest town, Eganville, is 18 km distant. For a city, Nepean is 120 km off. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Bolands Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Renfrew County records list smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch among the fish reported. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Fish Bolands Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 19°C in July and bottom out at -13°C in January. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about early December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Bolands Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Blind Lake is 1.4 km off. The position on Bolands Lake is worth confirming on the day.