Rainbow Lake Fishing near Sharbot Lake, Ontario

• Overview

  Within Lanark County, Ontario, you have Rainbow Lake. Elevation runs to 186 metres. At about 14 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Shoreline comes to about 3.1 km, small enough to learn in a day. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Ontario listings. The nearest place of any size is Sharbot Lake, 15 km away. Perth is 23 km and Smiths Falls 39 km. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Rainbow Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Lanark County include pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill and yellow perch. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Rainbow Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 20°C on average, January about -10°C. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near early December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Rainbow Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. For a change of water, Little Silver Lake is 0.5 km distant. Where Rainbow Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.