Cranberry Lake Fishing near Haliburton Village, Ontario

• Overview

  Cranberry Lake falls in Haliburton County, part of Ontario. It stands 310 metres above sea level. The water covers some 75 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The shoreline runs about 6.5 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Haliburton Village lies 9.3 km from the water. Then United Townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde, 14 km, and Bancroft, 55 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Cranberry Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Haliburton County include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and rock bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Read Cranberry Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 18°C for July and -11°C for January. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly early December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Cranberry Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Pivot Lake at 2.3 km is the nearest alternative. Nothing on Cranberry Lake should be assumed from this page alone.