Fishing Collins Lake in Renfrew County, Ontario

• Overview

  Look for Collins Lake in the Renfrew County part of Ontario. The land about it is rolling bush. This is a pocket water of some 7 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Some 39 km away sits Deep River, the nearest settlement. After that come Chalk River at 44 km and Mattawa at 58 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Collins Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Renfrew County cover smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Work Collins Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 18°C, while January sits near -13°C. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. On Collins Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Stans Lake sits 0.8 km off and takes the overflow. Treat Collins Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.