Fishing Muskrat Lake in Renfrew County, Ontario

• Overview

  Muskrat Lake is set in Renfrew County, Ontario. Country round the bank runs to pine and birch. It covers about 11.58 sq km, which means weather matters as much as tactics. The perimeter is close to 41 km, and wind can be flat in one arm and rough in the next. Size puts it in the front rank of our Renfrew County list. The closest town, Cobden, is 5.9 km distant. After that come Pembroke at 22 km and Eganville at 22 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Muskrat Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Species logged across Renfrew County include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and rock bass. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The shape of Muskrat Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 19°C, while January sits near -13°C. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and early December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. That shapes the year on Muskrat Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A platform or pier sits within 840 m. A camping area sits within 990 m of here. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Gibsons Lake, 5.9 km away. Nothing here settles the position at Muskrat Lake for certain.