Long Lake Fishing in United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Ontario

• Overview

  Long Lake is set in United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Ontario. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. With some 48 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The perimeter runs near 5.5 km, so plan the walk before you start. The nearest place of any size is Gananoque, 19 km away. Kingston sits 43 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name pumpkinseed, bluegill, yellow perch, rock bass and northern pike. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read Long Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 20°C at the top of summer and -9°C at the bottom of winter. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near mid December in autumn. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Plan around that when you fish Long Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Lost Bay, 1.8 km away. For Long Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.