Fishing Hardwood Lake in Renfrew County, Ontario

• Overview

  Hardwood Lake is one of the Renfrew County listings for Ontario. It stands 416 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to about 7 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Eganville at 21 km is the nearest place to stop. Beyond it, Renfrew at 36 km and Cobden at 37 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Hardwood Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Renfrew County, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Hardwood Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 18°C in July and bottom out at -12°C in January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. From about late April to around early December, expect open water on the long-run figures. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. On Hardwood Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Dools Lake at 0.7 km is the sensible second choice. For Hardwood Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.