Smith Lake near Chalk River: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  You will find Smith Lake in Renfrew County, Ontario. It sits at 153 metres above sea level. It runs to roughly 95 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. It ranks high for size among our Renfrew County listings. Some 17 km away sits Chalk River, the nearest settlement. Deep River is 19 km away, with Petawawa at 31 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Smith Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Renfrew County, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, rock bass and brook trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Smith Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 19°C and January reads -13°C. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. From about late April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. At Smith Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. A campsite is mapped about 210 m away, which makes an early start easier. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Beaverlea Lake, 3.1 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Smith Lake if anything is unclear.