Carson Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Renfrew County, Ontario, this is Carson Lake. This is rolling bush country. About 2.60 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The perimeter runs near 9.4 km, so plan the walk before you start. Few waters listed in Renfrew County are bigger. You are 51 km from Bancroft. It is 160 km to Nepean, the nearest city. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Carson Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Renfrew County include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The shape of Carson Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 18°C in July and bottoms out near -13°C in January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The season between ice runs from about late April to late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Time your trip to Carson Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Overnight stays are possible about 1.3 km out, where camping is mapped. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Otter Lake, 1.2 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Carson Lake.