Fishing at McCool Lake, Renfrew County, Ontario

• Overview

  Renfrew County in Ontario is where McCool Lake sits. Elevation runs to 343 metres. At 6 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Eganville is the closest place, 28 km off. Renfrew is 30 km away, with Cobden at 38 km. Within a short run: Lake of the Hills roughly 0.7 km, Joes Lake a touch under 1.1 km, Black Lake roughly 1.2 km, Moran Lake a touch under 2 km and Austins Lake roughly 2.4 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on McCool Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Reported across Renfrew County: smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and rock bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On McCool Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 18°C on average, January about -12°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about early December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. McCool Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Lake of the Hills sits 0.7 km off and takes the overflow. For McCool Lake in particular, ask before you travel.