Fishing Sand Pits Lake in Ottawa, Ontario

• Overview

  Ottawa in Ontario is where Sand Pits Lake sits. The surface lies 44 metres up. Vanier is the closest place, 1.2 km off. Further out sit Rockcliffe Park (1.2 km) and New Edinburgh (2 km). Also worth knowing: McKay Lake a touch under 0.3 km, Lac Leamy at about 4.3 km, Lac Beauchamp a touch under 5.5 km, Lac des Fees at about 6.8 km and Dows Lake a touch under 6.9 km. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Sand Pits Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Ottawa cover pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, white sucker, yellow perch and common carp. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The shape of Sand Pits Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 21°C for July and -11°C for January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It holds true on Sand Pits Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Parking within 480 m means no long carry with tackle. There is a pier recorded roughly 1.1 km away. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, McKay Lake is 0.3 km off. Where Sand Pits Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.