Sloan Lake Fishing near Deep River, Ontario

• Overview

  Sloan Lake lies in Renfrew County, Ontario. It lies 251 metres above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 3 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Renfrew County. The nearest town is Deep River, 19 km away. It is 166 km to Gatineau, the nearest city. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Sloan Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Renfrew County include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. At Sloan Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 19°C in July and bottom out at -13°C in January. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late November in autumn. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Sloan Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Overnight stays are possible 960 m away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Keon Lake at 0.9 km is the sensible second choice. Signs at Sloan Lake carry more weight than any list.