O'Reilly Lake Fishing near Campbellford, Ontario

• Overview

  The Northumberland County entry here is O'Reilly Lake, in Ontario. This is pine and birch country. Surface area runs to about 4 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Most waters listed here for Northumberland County are larger. Campbellford is the closest town at 14 km. Further out sit Norwood (16 km) and Peterborough (30 km). The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on O'Reilly Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across Northumberland County include rock bass, johnny darter and pumpkinseed. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On O'Reilly Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 20°C and January near -8°C. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near early December in autumn. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That shapes the year on O'Reilly Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, McCleary Lake is 1.3 km off. None of that is settled for O'Reilly Lake in what we hold.