Salmon Trout Lake in Hastings County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Salmon Trout Lake lies in Hastings County, Ontario. This is rolling bush country. At some 1.00 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The perimeter runs near 7.5 km, so plan the walk before you start. On our Hastings County list it sits near the top for size. Bancroft sits 15 km from here and is the nearest stop. United Townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde is 47 km and Haliburton Village 57 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Salmon Trout Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Open biodiversity records for Hastings County list rock bass, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and bluegill. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Fish Salmon Trout Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 18°C; by January the average is down near -12°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. On Salmon Trout Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Dickens Lake is 2.7 km off. Confirm access to Salmon Trout Lake locally before you travel.