Fishing Hart Lake in Simcoe County, Ontario

• Overview

  Hart Lake lies in Simcoe County, Ontario. The bank is 217 metres above sea level. It runs to roughly 19 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The full circuit measures close to 3.1 km on foot. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Ontario listings. Some 17 km away sits Gravenhurst, the nearest settlement. Barrie is the closest city, 57 km away. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Hart Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Survey and observation records for Simcoe County include pumpkinseed, northern pike, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and bluegill. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Hart Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 19°C and January about -10°C. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around early December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Time your trip to Hart Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Narrow Lake is 1.4 km off. Check the position on Hart Lake before loading the car.