Fishing Brethour Lake in Hastings County, Ontario

• Overview

  Brethour Lake is one of the Hastings County listings for Ontario. Elevation runs to 444 metres. At 2 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Hastings County list holds plenty of bigger water. Head to Bancroft, 2 km away, for anything you forgot. The big place round here is Kingston, 143 km distant. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Brethour Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Hastings County, recorded fish include rock bass, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Brethour Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 18°C on average, January about -11°C. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Brethour Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. A carry of 1 km from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. Toilets show in mapping about 610 m away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Copper Lake is 1.3 km distant. For Brethour Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.