Horse Lake Fishing Guide, Bruce County, Ontario

• Overview

  Within Bruce County, Ontario, you have Horse Lake. It sits at 184 metres above sea level. It covers about 7 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The edge runs 1.9 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Our Bruce County list holds plenty of bigger water. Tobermory at 11 km is the nearest place to stop. Wiarton is 63 km away, with Owen Sound at 88 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Horse Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. 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. Fish documented in Bruce County include smallmouth bass, lake whitefish, humpback whitefish, rainbow smelt and white sucker. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Fish Horse Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 19°C in July and bottom out at -7°C in February. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about mid December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Plan any trip to Horse Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Mapping shows a ramp about 1.4 km from the shore. The nearest car park is 230 m from the water. A campsite lies 540 m away for anyone staying over. Mapping shows a picnic spot within 1.5 km. There are toilets 250 m off. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Marr Lake, 0.5 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Horse Lake are worth checking on the day.