Robinson Lake in Hastings County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Robinson Lake is set in Hastings County, Ontario. It stands 340 metres above sea level. It runs to roughly 30 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The edge runs 3.7 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. The closest town, Bancroft, is 20 km distant. Kingston is the closest city, 124 km away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Robinson Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Hastings County include rock bass, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. The county list is broader than any single water. Work Robinson Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 19°C in July and bottoms out near -11°C in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Robinson Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. For a change of water, Brinklow Lake is 1.4 km distant. For Robinson Lake in particular, ask before you travel.