Fishing Dixie Lake in Renfrew County, Ontario

• Overview

  Dixie Lake sits in Renfrew County, out in Ontario. It sits in pine and birch. It runs to roughly 26 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. There is roughly 3.1 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. The closest town, Eganville, is 44 km distant. After that come Bancroft at 46 km and Petawawa at 58 km. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Dixie Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Renfrew County include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Dixie Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -13°C in January and 18°C in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about early December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Time your trip to Dixie Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Crooked Lake at 1.6 km is the sensible second choice. Treat Dixie Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.