Belton Lake in Hastings County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Belton Lake sits in Hastings County, out in Ontario. The country round it is mixed forest from end to end. Surface area runs to about 3 hectares — small enough to read in one session. It is a small entry by Hastings County standards. Bancroft lies 16 km from the water. Beyond it, United Townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde at 61 km and Madoc at 66 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Belton Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Hastings County list rock bass, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and bluegill. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Belton Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 18°C, while January sits near -12°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about early December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Belton Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Bulpit Lake at 2.1 km is the sensible second choice. Confirm access to Belton Lake locally before you travel.