Hanes Lake Fishing Guide, Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Nipissing District end of Ontario holds Hanes Lake. It sits in lake country bush country. About 5 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It is a small entry by Nipissing District standards. Huntsville lies 47 km from the water. South River is 53 km away, with United Townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde at 55 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Hanes Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Nipissing District records list smallmouth bass, cisco, yellow perch, pumpkinseed and rock bass among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Take Hanes Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -13°C in January up to 18°C in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Hanes Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. A campsite is mapped about 780 m away, which makes an early start easier. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Bear Lake is 0.5 km off. For Hanes Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.