Fishing Minkspaw Lake in Renfrew County, Ontario

• Overview

  This water sits in Renfrew County, Ontario. Elevation runs to 307 metres. At about 13 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The full circuit measures close to 2.1 km on foot. Petawawa is the closest place, 44 km off. Then Eganville, 45 km, and Pembroke, 49 km. Other water within reach: Burns Lake sits 1.6 km out, Little Round Lake 2 km away, Paugh Lake sits 2.7 km out, Bear Lake 2.9 km away and Surprise Lake sits 3 km out. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Minkspaw Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Renfrew County cover smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Minkspaw Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 18°C in July and bottoms out near -13°C in January. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at early December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Minkspaw Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Burns Lake is 1.6 km distant. Check the position on Minkspaw Lake before loading the car.