Fishing at Harvey's Shanty Lake, Renfrew County, Ontario

• Overview

  Harvey's Shanty Lake is set in Renfrew County, Ontario. The surroundings are rolling bush. At about 12 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The whole outline is near 1.4 km, and most of it is walkable. The nearest town is Mattawa, 46 km away. For a city, Gatineau is 204 km off. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Harvey's Shanty Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. 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. Across Renfrew County, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and rock bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Anyone new to Harvey's Shanty Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -13°C to 18°C. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on Harvey's Shanty Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Little Marten Lake at 1.2 km is the sensible second choice. Treat access at Harvey's Shanty Lake as something to verify.