Dunbar Lake Fishing Guide, United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Ontario

• Overview

  Dunbar Lake is listed under United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Ontario. What surrounds it is pine and birch. Roughly 20 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 1.9 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Smiths Falls sits 18 km from the bank. Further out sit Perth (25 km) and Brockville (32 km). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Dunbar Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Reported across United Counties of Leeds and Grenville: pumpkinseed, bluegill, yellow perch, rock bass and northern pike. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Dunbar Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -10°C in January and 20°C in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about early December in a typical year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Plan around that when you fish Dunbar Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Bellamys Lake is 2.7 km distant. Check the position on Dunbar Lake before loading the car.