Cranberry Lake Fishing near Deep River, Ontario

• Overview

  Look for Cranberry Lake in the Renfrew County part of Ontario. Height above sea level is 308 metres. Surface area runs to about 4 hectares — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Renfrew County list. You are 47 km from Deep River. It is 200 km to Gatineau, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Cranberry Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Reported across Renfrew County: smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and rock bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Treat Cranberry Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 18°C, while January sits near -13°C. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Cranberry Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Cliff Lake is 1.1 km off. Check the position on Cranberry Lake before loading the car.