Wanamaker Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Wanamaker Lake falls in Hastings County, part of Ontario. Beyond the shoreline you have mixed forest. It runs to roughly 75 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. With 8.5 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. On our Hastings County list it sits near the top for size. The nearest town is Bancroft, 23 km away. It is 128 km to Kingston, the nearest city. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Wanamaker Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Hastings County cover rock bass, smallmouth bass and pumpkinseed. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Wanamaker Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 18°C and January near -12°C on the long-run figures. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The water is typically free of ice between late April and early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Wanamaker Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Limestone Lake, 1.3 km out. Where Wanamaker Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.