Spoor Creek Fishing near Chalk River, Ontario

• Overview

  Out in Renfrew County, Ontario, sits Spoor Creek. The bank is 162 metres above sea level. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Ontario listings. Nearest town is Chalk River, 16 km off. Deep River is 21 km and Petawawa 26 km. If this one is busy: McManus Lake some 2.1 km off, Frontier Lake after 2.1 km, Montgomery Lake some 3.9 km off, Cartier Lake after 4.3 km and Hardwood Lake some 4.4 km off. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Spoor Creek

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Wading opens water that no bank angler reaches. Log jams gather bait and everything that eats it. Across Renfrew County, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. The county list is broader than any single water. The shape of Spoor Creek decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 19°C at the top of summer and -13°C at the bottom of winter. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The quiet pools cap over in winter, the riffles never quite do, and late April clears the lot. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Spoor Creek.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Expect 1.4 km away in from where the car goes. You can camp 1.4 km off, which suits an early start. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is McManus Lake, 2.1 km out. Ask locally about Spoor Creek if anything is unclear.