McMaster Lake Fishing Guide, Renfrew County, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Renfrew County, McMaster Lake is an Ontario water. It stands 274 metres above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 10 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Bank access stretches around 1.6 km in total. Start from Eganville, 31 km down the road. Nepean sits 100 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on McMaster Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Renfrew County, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and rock bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The near bank of McMaster Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 18°C on average, January about -12°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice clears near late April and comes back about early December in a typical year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It sets the rhythm of the year at McMaster Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Failing this one, try MacPherson Lake, 2.2 km away. Signs at McMaster Lake carry more weight than any list.