Fishing at Highfalls Lake, Renfrew County, Ontario

• Overview

  Renfrew County in Ontario is where Highfalls Lake sits. It stands 193 metres above sea level. Roughly 20 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The full circuit measures close to 3.3 km on foot. It is low-lying compared with other Ontario water we list. Nearest town is Chalk River, 25 km off. Deep River is 30 km and Petawawa 31 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Highfalls Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Renfrew County records list smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Fish Highfalls Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 19°C for July and -13°C for January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Highfalls Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. You can camp 390 m off, which suits an early start. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Ooze Lake at 1.2 km is the sensible second choice. The position on Highfalls Lake is worth confirming on the day.