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

• Overview

  Ontario holds Foote Lake, in Renfrew County. Elevation runs to 220 metres. About 5 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Most waters listed here for Renfrew County are larger. Deep River sits 24 km from the bank. Gatineau sits 170 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Foote Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Renfrew County include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Foote Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 18°C, with January the cold end at about -13°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Anyone fishing Foote Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. East Bruce Lake, 1.2 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Foote Lake if anything is unclear.