Clean Lake Fishing in Haliburton County, Ontario

• Overview

  Clean Lake is one of the Haliburton County waters in Ontario. It sits in rolling bush country. The water covers around 1.57 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. Some 6.6 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Size puts it in the front rank of our Haliburton County list. Haliburton Village is 22 km away, with Huntsville at 55 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Clean Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Haliburton County list smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and rock bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Clean Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 18°C, while January sits near -11°C. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It sets the rhythm of the year at Clean Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. You can camp 820 m off, which suits an early start. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Eyre Lake at 2.6 km is the sensible second choice. Where Clean Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.