Yates Lake in Haliburton County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Yates Lake is one of the Haliburton County waters in Ontario. Everything around it is pine and birch. Small at around 7 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is a small entry by Haliburton County standards. Some 15 km away sits Haliburton Village, the nearest settlement. For a city, Barrie is 127 km off. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Yates Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Haliburton County include smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, rock bass and yellow perch. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Yates Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 18°C for July and -11°C for January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Yates Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Little Dudmon Lake at 3 km is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Yates Lake.