McConnel Lake Fishing Guide, Renfrew County, Ontario

• Overview

  Ontario holds McConnel Lake, in Renfrew County. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. The whole thing is a single swim; walk it in a minute. Most waters listed here for Renfrew County are larger. Renfrew sits 32 km from here and is the nearest stop. It is 93 km to Nepean, the nearest city. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on McConnel Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Renfrew County: smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Treat McConnel Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 19°C and January near -12°C on the long-run figures. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That is the shape of the year on McConnel Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Overnight stays are possible 530 m away. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Scully Lake, 2.2 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat McConnel Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.