Fishing at Lower Pine Lake, Renfrew County, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Renfrew County, Lower Pine Lake is an Ontario water. It sits at 181 metres above sea level. It runs to roughly 20 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. About 2.8 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. It lies lower than most water we list in Ontario. Nearest place of any size is Petawawa, 36 km away. Chalk River is 38 km away, with Pembroke at 44 km. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Lower Pine Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Renfrew County records list smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout among the fish reported. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Treat Lower Pine Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -13°C in January and 19°C in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Plan around that when you fish Lower Pine Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. 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. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Walker Lake sits 2.4 km off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Lower Pine Lake if anything is unclear.