Fishing at Tower Lake, Lanark County, Ontario

• Overview

  Tower Lake lies in Lanark County, Ontario. The ground around here is mixed forest. At 3 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Lanark County list. The nearest town is Renfrew, 32 km away. Mississippi Mills follows at 35 km, then Almonte at 35 km. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Tower Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Lanark County list pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill and yellow perch. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. The shape of Tower Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 19°C on average, January about -11°C. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Time your trip to Tower Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Hollinger Lake sits 1.9 km off and takes the overflow. Where Tower Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.