By Outdoor Enthusiast, Public Speaker, Outdoor Writer, Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s Canada Pro Staff Pam Stewart.
Fishing in Lanark County
Whether you’re a year-round multi-species angler, or an outdoor enthusiast who just loves being on or around water, I think it’s safe to say everyone looks forward to the lakes thawing in early spring and for those warmer temperatures to arrive. It’s always a rush of excitement heading to the cottage with the family for the first time, or planning a day trip to a new waterbody to enjoy the scenic sights and sounds and to do some exploring of food options the area has to offer.
Each summer, thousands of people head to the charming area of Lanark County to do just that, explore and take in all the beauty it has to offer. Luckily, Lanark County has a wide variety of fishing opportunities for the whole family to enjoy, and you don’t even need to own a boat to take advantage of this opportunity to catch fish. One of the most popular lakes for fishing in the area and is home to several sportfish species that tourists from all over come to enjoy, is on Big Rideau Lake in Rideau Ferry. But before you think about heading out on the water this season, be sure to check out the Transport Canada Safe Boating Guide link below, that covers safety tips and requirements for pleasure crafts.
Safe Boating Guide – Safety Tips and Requirements for Pleasure Crafts
Big Rideau Lake & Amenities
Launching your Watercraft:
Big Rideau is a popular lake for everyone to enjoy as it offers a wide variety of outdoor activities such as paddle boarding, water tubing, skiing, Le Boat rentals, canoeing or kayaking, and of course multi-species fishing opportunities. It is only a short twelve minute drive south of Perth on Rideau Ferry Road.
It has several public boat launches located on it, as seen on the maps below (Yacht Club, Murphy’s Point Provincial Park, Portland, John’s Marina, Big Rideau Lake Road, Poonamalie, Beveridges locks). The main launch is located in Rideau Ferry off Yacht Club Road and is a pay as you go launch that you can use for a daily rate. Or you can also purchase a year-round pass through their digital app located on the pay machine. This main launch has a large dock for anglers and families to take advantage of. This seems to be the most popular area within very close proximity to great panfish species such as yellow perch, black crappie, bluegill and pumpkinseed. There’s also a healthy population of northern pike and both largemouth and smallmouth bass habitats just out from the launch. Located beside the boat launch, there is a beautiful well maintained sandy public beach area with an enclosed buoyed area for swimming, public restrooms and several picnic tables. Murphy’s Point Provincial Park is located nearby, and is a great area to check out while you’re here, so be sure to click the link below for more details.
https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/murphyspoint/activities
Where to Eat on the Water:
When thinking about food options- there are a couple ‘boat in’ restaurants on the water to enjoy
- Located on the North side of the Big Rideau Lake bridge in Rideau Ferry is CC’s On The Rideau.
- Rideau Ferry General Store is also located in the same parking lot as CC’s restaurant, for all your outdoor and cottage needs such as gas, ice, snacks, drinks, ice cream and baked goods-you must stop in to check it out!
- Located on the West end of the lake is the Galley Restaurant in Portland.
Cozy Places to Stay:
The Bass Fishing Opportunities of Big Rideau Lake
For many years, I’ve been exploring this waterbody from the upper end of the lake that extends to the Portland side and to Narrows locks, all the way down to the ‘lower end’ of the lake which tapers down to the narrow channel towards the Poonamalie boat launch. Big Rideau lake is 2363 hectares of water and offers some of the best largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing I’ve found-it’s truly my favourite body of water to fish!
What makes this lake so special in my opinion, is it can make fishing dreams come true for anyone who is willing to put a line in the water. Big Rideau is home to bass weighing over 6 pounds which is truly what everyone wants to check off their bucket list- a fish of a lifetime. This lake offers excellent fishing for bass as both largemouth and smallmouth love to cruise the shorelines in search of an easy meal all hours of the day. It’s an exciting body of water to fish all day long and into the evening. That’s one of the many reasons as to why this lake is a very popular destination for anglers to come and explore. Big Rideau Lake watershed is located in fisheries management zone 18, and currently the bass season opens the third weekend in June and runs through until December 15th.
I personally enjoy fishing for both species, but if I had to choose, I’d have to say I’ve always been a largemouth gal at heart. Simply because I find them easier to catch than smallmouth. I say that because you don’t necessarily need electronics to target them-and here’s why. Largemouth mostly prefer depths of less than 20 feet. I mostly fish along shallow shorelines of the lake, around islands or in back bays, less than 15 feet of water with topwater baits such as artificial frogs over lily pads and stumps. When I am not throwing topwater baits I’ll usually throw soft plastics such as ION’s which are a great bait for kids to throw-they are easy, require very little effort or technique and bass love them. I also love throwing moving baits as well, such as chatterbaits and spinnerbaits to cover more water cast after cast. You’ll usually find largemouth tucked in with cover such as weeds like milfoil, cabbage, hydrilla and more. They will also back themselves up to rocky shorelines mixed with thick weeds with depths as shallow as 1ft of water. Depending on where the bait is, they may actively cruise from one structure to another or they may find a comfortable home to sit and wait until a meal comes to them-it all depends on their mood. Having a couple different options of baits will help increase your chances of figuring out what they want to eat that day, and throwing a variety of colours. If you’re fishing with others make sure to throw something different then your partner to increase your odds on figuring out the bite.
Don’t let super thick weed clumps along shorelines deter you from throwing something heavy down in the middle of it. When I grew up fishing for largemouth in Lanark County, I’d look at weeds that I couldn’t see bottom in, and I would drive right past it. I’d think to myself, no fish live in that it’s way too thick and my bait won’t even make it through it without catching 10lbs of weeds on my hook. Oh boy I was so wrong about that one! Largemouth absolutely love that thick, heavy cover. A great way to catch them in a thick weedy area is by throwing 1/2oz-3/4oz Freedom Tackle flipping jig with a NetBait HexTek Rascal trailer. Keep in mind, the heavier weight of a lure the more heavy duty powered rod you will need to back it up with. Otherwise you risk breaking your rod because it has a maximum weight restriction labelled on the rod. Pay close attention to the action of the rod when choosing your next rod and reel combo as it matters for the style of fishing you want to target.
My preferred flipping jig rod is a Halo Fishing Rod 7ft Medium Heavy powered rod. When it comes to what line you should use-go heavy. I suggest using a 50-65 lbs high visibility braid, then taking a king sized black sharpie and painting your line with it from your lure all the way up to 5ft up your line so the fish can’t see the bright yellow or blue line. The high visibility line is important so you can see any movement in your line on the surface of the water. Sometimes you won’t feel a fish latch onto your jig, but you’ll notice your line ‘jumping’ or movement, and that’s when a fish has eaten your bait.
When it comes to smallmouth however, they can be a bit more finesse or harder to locate seeing as they can sometimes be out cruising those deeper depths suspended chasing bait which makes them an ideal species for using live sonar electronics such as a Garmin livescope unit. When locating smallmouth early season, depending on the water temperatures I’ll usually start out in depths of 10-25 ft on the edge of inlets or outlets, and on the rock edges of islands with easy access to the main lake depths with shallow weedy bays on the other side of it. I’m essentially covering all types of water, such as structure and cover to try to locate them. I will also throw some topwater baits such as a Freedom Tackle mischief minnow which is similar to a jerkbait but it floats. It also makes lots of noise with the heavy duty blade on it which will draw in fish from afar. If I want to scan out to the deeper depths of 20 plus feet, I’ll locate them on my Garmin Livescope 106 LVS 34 and I’ll finesse fish for them using 1/8oz Freedom Tackle swimbait head, with a NetBait HexTek Eko Shad or a Blimp Minnow. Usually the smallmouth will sense it dropping down and swim up to the bait really fast as it’s mimicking a stunned or injured baitfish falling down which is an easy meal for a smallmouth. For this style of finesse fishing I like using a 6’10-7ft Medium Halo Rod with a super sensitive tip to be able to feel the bite better.
Tips and Tricks:
One final thing to keep in mind when heading out to target any fish species is to make sure to always check the Ontario fishing regulations before heading out with your fishing license in tow. Big Rideau Lake has a couple fish sanctuaries to avoid all season long along with catch limits and size limits depending on the species you’re targeting. If you intend to use live bait you must read up on the Bait Management Zones in Ontario to ensure you aren’t transporting bait from one area to another. If you are also trailering any type of inflatable watercraft, even if it’s a paddleboard, you must wash off your equipment before launching, and again once you are done with your adventure. This is extremely important to prevent invasive species from being transported from one waterbody to another.
Be safe, have fun, and I hope you enjoy the fisheries that the county has to offer us. You can connect with me on my social media platforms below:
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