Summer is flying by in the blink of an eye but I’m grateful to have some fun memories to look back on while exploring Lennox & Addington County over the past few weeks. This is my 4th post in this 5-part blog series with just one lake left on the agenda. My latest adventure lead me to the north part of the region to see what species we could find while fishing on Weslemkoon Lake.
A Variety of Species
Weslemkoon Lake is located in Addington Highlands near Denbigh, Ontario. It holds a variety of species including: smallmouth and largemouth bass, lake trout, perch, crappie, and sunfish. I also read that the lake is home to brook trout. Weslemkoon is a scenic rocky lake dotted with many islands and bays to explore. The lake is 19.3 kilometers in length and 2.5 kilometers wide, reaching depths of up to 180 feet. Eric and I launched our boat at Four Loons Marina in Gilmour, with our pup Blitz joining us.
Big Bass Found Here
This was not my first visit to Weslemkoon Lake as I fished here in a bass tournament years ago. If I recall correctly, one of the anglers caught a 6-pound smallmouth during the event. While checking in to the marina to use the boat launch, I noticed a plaque on the wall inscribed with ‘Four Loons Big Bass Contest’ dating back to 1992. Largemouth and smallmouth bass ranging in size from 3-pounds up to 7-pounds were listed which added to my excitement. I had hope we would cross paths with some big bass on this trip!
Starting with Smallmouth
We started the day off targeting smallmouth bass by working our way along rocky shorelines using Ned Rigs, jerkbaits, and drop shots. We found plenty of eager smallies willing to eat anything we threw their way, it seemed! Eric also picked up a couple bonus black crappie.
A Little Laker Action
As we navigated around the lake, we passed over some deeper water (50 to 90 feet) spotting some fish showing up on the Humminbird sonar. Knowing Weslemkoon is home to lake trout, we circled back and dropped down some Sebile Vibrato (blade baits) to see if we could entice any bites. Eric spotted a bigger fish on the sonar higher up in the water column. He dropped down to it with his blade bait. We watched the sonar as the fish charged up and smashed his bait! Unfortunately as quickly as it hit, the fish broke him off leaving our imaginations to run wild on what could have been. I think he’ll be haunted about this one for awhile. We continued to chase lakers for a little while longer, and I was able to land this beautiful little guy on a Sebile Vibrato.
Lastly, Largemouth
With only a few hours left of daylight, we headed back towards the marina to finish out the day chasing largemouth bass. There are plenty of docks, vegetation, and fallen trees to hold largies on this lake. We threw some top water frogs over lily pads, Chatterbaits over the submerged vegetation, and Ned Rigs and flipping jigs around fallen trees and docks. This was a fun lake to fish!
We’ll Be Back
Although sometimes the most memorable moment of the day is the one that got away, it’s what inspires further exploration! I look forward to getting to know Weslemkoon Lake better and hopefully connecting with some of the giants that roam there! To learn more about the fishing opportunities in Lennox & Addington County, visit:Â www.lennox-addington.on.ca/explore/fishing
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really enjoy your articles.keep up the good fishing