Fishing at Clow Lake, Frontenac County, Ontario

• Overview

  Within Frontenac County, Ontario, you have Clow Lake. The setting is mixed forest on every side. It covers about 3 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Frontenac County list. Start from Sharbot Lake, 15 km down the road. Sharpton/Glenvale lies 36 km off, Elginburg/Silvers Corners/Shannons Corners another 39 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Clow Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Frontenac County records list pumpkinseed, bluegill, rock bass and smallmouth bass among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Clow Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 20°C at the top of summer and -10°C at the bottom of winter. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near early December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Plan any trip to Clow Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Duncan Lake, 1.1 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Clow Lake.