Fishing at Howard Lake, United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Ontario

• Overview

  Look for Howard Lake in United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Ontario. Height above sea level is 84 metres. Surface area runs to about 8 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Roughly 1.9 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. It is one of the smaller waters we list in United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. Gananoque lies 9.3 km from the water. Then Clayton, 20 km, and Alexandria Bay, 21 km. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Howard Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Public occurrence data for United Counties of Leeds and Grenville names pumpkinseed, bluegill, yellow perch, rock bass and northern pike. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Read Howard Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 20°C; by January the average is down near -9°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near mid December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Plan around that when you fish Howard Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Gananoque Lake, 3.2 km away. Rules at Howard Lake are worth checking on the day.