Findlay Lake in Renfrew County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Findlay Lake is one of the Renfrew County waters in Ontario. What surrounds it is lake country bush. With some 17 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The full circuit measures close to 2.6 km on foot. For supplies, Deep River is 25 km out. For a city, Gatineau is 178 km off. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Findlay Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Renfrew County records list smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and rock bass among the fish reported. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Fish Findlay Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 19°C, with January the cold end at about -13°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That is the shape of the year on Findlay Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Margaret Lake sits 1.5 km off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish Findlay Lake.