Moore's Lake in Hastings County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Hastings County, Ontario, sits Moore's Lake. The bank is 366 metres above sea level. It covers about 7 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Hastings County list. You are 30 km from Bancroft. The nearest city of size is Kingston, 163 km away. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Moore's Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. 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. Species logged across Hastings County include rock bass, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and bluegill. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Moore's Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 18°C on average, January about -12°C. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Time your trip to Moore's Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Little Papineau Lake at 1.5 km is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Moore's Lake in what we hold.