Fishing at McGuinns Lake, Frontenac County, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, McGuinns Lake falls inside Frontenac County. The bank gives way to lake country bush. At 9 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Ground here is low by Ontario standards. The town to know is Sharpton/Glenvale, 15 km out. The nearest city of size is Kingston, 28 km away. Within easy reach: Knowlton Lake 1.2 km away, Silvers Lake at 1.8 km, Gould Lake 2.7 km away, Rosedale Lake at 2.7 km and Cronk Lake 3 km away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on McGuinns Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Frontenac County include pumpkinseed, bluegill, rock bass, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Anyone new to McGuinns Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 20°C for July and -9°C for January. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. From about mid April to around mid December, expect open water on the long-run figures. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. McGuinns Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. The nearest alternative is Knowlton Lake, 1.2 km out. Where McGuinns Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.