Long Lake in Lanark County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Long Lake lies in Lanark County, Ontario. The surroundings are lake country bush. It measures some 1.05 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The shoreline runs about 9.6 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. It ranks high for size among our Lanark County listings. Start from Perth, 12 km down the road. The big place round here is Kingston, 65 km distant. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Lanark County records list pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass and bluegill among the fish reported. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. The shape of Long Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 20°C and January near -10°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near mid December in autumn. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. It holds true on Long Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A carry of 1.3 km from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Round Lake is 1.6 km distant. Signs at Long Lake carry more weight than any list.