Mair Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Mair Lake in the Frontenac County part of Ontario. Height above sea level is 279 metres. Surface area is around 50 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. There is roughly 5.0 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Head to Sharbot Lake, 39 km away, for anything you forgot. The nearest city of size is Nepean, 90 km away. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Mair Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Frontenac County cover pumpkinseed, bluegill, rock bass and smallmouth bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Mair Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 19°C, with January the cold end at about -11°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The water is typically free of ice between late April and early December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Anyone fishing Mair Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is a ramp at Mair Lake, 530 m out. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try North Granite Lake, 1.5 km away. For Mair Lake in particular, ask before you travel.