Fishing at Perch Lake, Hastings County, Ontario

• Overview

  Perch Lake is one of the Hastings County listings for Ontario. It lies 307 metres above sea level. With some 10 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Roughly 1.7 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. For a base, Bancroft sits 30 km out. Kingston is the closest city, 118 km away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Perch Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Hastings County include rock bass, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and bluegill. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. The shape of Perch Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 19°C; by January the average is down near -10°C. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about early December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Perch Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Paddy's Lake is 3 km off. Where Perch Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.