Fishing Long Lake in Frontenac County, Ontario

• Overview

  Long Lake sits in Frontenac County, out in Ontario. The bank is 141 metres above sea level. The water covers some 15 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. About 2.6 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Ontario listings. Elginburg/Silvers Corners/Shannons Corners is the closest place, 25 km off. The big place round here is Kingston, 34 km distant. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Reported across Frontenac County: pumpkinseed, bluegill, rock bass, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Long Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 20°C in July and bottom out at -9°C in January. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. On Long Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. 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. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Mountain Lake at 0.9 km is the nearest alternative. Rules at Long Lake are worth checking on the day.