Phillips Lake Fishing in Hastings County, Ontario

• Overview

  Phillips Lake lies in Hastings County, Ontario. It lies 425 metres above sea level. At 7 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Most waters listed here for Hastings County are larger. Head to Bancroft, 36 km away, for anything you forgot. United Townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde is 54 km away, with Eganville at 56 km. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Phillips Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Hastings County, recorded fish include rock bass, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and bluegill. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Phillips Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 18°C and January near -12°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about early December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. At Phillips Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Bell Rapids Lake sits 1.6 km off and takes the overflow. What applies at Phillips Lake may have changed since it was mapped.