Harding Lake Fishing near Vermilion Bay, Ontario

• Overview

  Kenora District in Ontario is where Harding Lake sits. Elevation runs to 344 metres. It measures about 99 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The margin runs to about 6.6 km in total. Some 51 km away sits Vermilion Bay, the nearest settlement. Kenora lies 68 km off, Dryden another 77 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Harding Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Kenora District records list northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker and johnny darter among the fish reported. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Harding Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 19°C, with January the cold end at about -17°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about mid November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Anyone fishing Harding Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Waterfall Lake is 1.7 km off. Nothing here settles the position at Harding Lake for certain.