Hemlock Lake Fishing in Renfrew County, Ontario

• Overview

  Renfrew County, Ontario, is where Hemlock Lake sits. Elevation runs to 317 metres. It runs to roughly 12 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. A shoreline of some 2.4 km keeps the choices simple. Petawawa is the closest place, 25 km off. The nearest city of size is Gatineau, 145 km away. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Hemlock Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Renfrew County include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Hemlock Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 18°C and January at -13°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. The lid tends to go about late April and return around late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It holds true on Hemlock Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. 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. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Beechnut Lake, 1.3 km away. Nothing here settles the position at Hemlock Lake for certain.