Tamarack Lake in Hastings County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Tamarack Lake in Hastings County, Ontario. The bank is 366 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to about 8 hectares — small enough to read in one session. The closest town, Bancroft, is 4.6 km distant. United Townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde follows at 50 km, then Haliburton Village at 53 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Tamarack Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name rock bass, smallmouth bass and pumpkinseed. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Tamarack Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 18°C on average, January about -11°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. On average, mid April opens the water and early December closes it again. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Tamarack Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. West Mullet Lake at 0.6 km is the sensible second choice. For Tamarack Lake in particular, ask before you travel.