Fishing at Vance Lake, Hastings County, Ontario

• Overview

  Vance Lake sits within Hastings County in Ontario. The bank is 343 metres above sea level. Small at around 9 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. The closest town, Bancroft, is 12 km away. Oshawa is the closest city, 140 km away. What else is close: 1.5 km out stands Bigfools Lake, Beaver Lake lies 2.8 km on, 2.9 km out stands Little Skunk Lake, Aryhart Lake lies 3.4 km on and 3.4 km out stands Lower Paudash Lake. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Vance Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name rock bass, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Vance Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 19°C; the cold one sits at -11°C. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about early December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan around that when you fish Vance Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. 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. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Bigfools Lake sits 1.5 km off and takes the overflow. Where Vance Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.