Fishing Brigham Lake in Renfrew County, Ontario

• Overview

  The Renfrew County end of Ontario holds Brigham Lake. The ground round it is mixed forest. It covers about 9 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Ground here is low by Ontario standards. The nearest town is Chalk River, 22 km away. The nearest city of size is Gatineau, 159 km away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Brigham Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Renfrew County include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Brigham Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 19°C and January near -13°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late November in autumn. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. The season on Brigham Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Overnight stays are possible about 100 m out, where camping is mapped. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, Opalescent Lake is 1 km distant. What applies at Brigham Lake may have changed since it was mapped.