Upper Park Lake in Lanark County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Upper Park Lake lies in Lanark County, in Ontario. It sits at 233 metres above sea level. The water covers some 30 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Ontario listings. The town to know is Sharbot Lake, 28 km out. It is 77 km to Nepean, the nearest city. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Upper Park Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Lanark County records list pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass and bluegill among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Upper Park Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -11°C in January to roughly 19°C in July. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Upper Park Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. There is a campsite 280 m from the water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Pond on the Hill, 0.8 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Upper Park Lake.