toober
member
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2006
- Messages
- 60
Went to Haynes Lake in Richmond Hill on 12-Aug-2007. It's on Leslie St, north of Stoufville Rd. There is no set parking area, plus there are "no parking" signs along most of the road. There is a spot on the shoulder just southeast of the lake that could probably hold 4 or 5 cars safely; this area does not appear to be restricted by signage. Access to the lake is then by a very short walk north along Leslie, and then across the road. For reference, here's Google Maps link:
Haynes Lake
Caution: the road is just 2 lanes, but the traffic is heavier than you would expect from the rural setting... plus, the visibility for cars going either direction on Leslie is not great, so be careful.
(Note: Snypa visited this lake previously and posted about it here. He has some nice shots of the lake itself.)
This is a small lake, but surprisingly deep, and perfect for small watercraft. Shore fishing access appears to be mainly from a spot on the side of the lake, just behind the metal road barrier. It is fairly shallow here, and it makes a good launching spot if you plan to go out on the lake.
I didn't get here until about 10:00 in the morning. It was warm and slightly overcast, with a breeze blowing in from the south. I launched my kickboat and paddled along the north shore, but only managed to catch one little rockbass along the way.
Then I got to the far west end of the lake, and managed to catch 4 decent bass (1 to 2 lb) in about an hour, of which 2 are pictured below. I had to use slightly different tactics than I'm used to... there are weeds, but they are very deep... and that's where the fish seemed to be. I only took one bass on a shallow lure (in-line spinner); the other 3 were caught on a fairly heavy hair-jig attached to a spinner arm with a small Colorado blade, fished deep.
I said it above, and I'll repeat it: this lake is deeper than you would expect. The water is nice and clear, though, and I was able to see bottom... I'm guessing 20 to 30 foot depth. I saw what appeared to be some fairly large fish swimming along the bottom; they were really just shadows, but they were definitely moving. I could see them well enough to say that I think they were bass, judging by their shapes.
One minor detraction from the day's outing... while out on the water, a white-haired lady yelled across the water to me (from the deck of one of the big houses on the north shore) that this was a "private lake". I didn't feel like arguing with somebody's grandma, and it was time for me to leave anyway, but it still kind of pissed me off. Otherwise, it was an enjoyable morning.
toober
Haynes Lake
Caution: the road is just 2 lanes, but the traffic is heavier than you would expect from the rural setting... plus, the visibility for cars going either direction on Leslie is not great, so be careful.
(Note: Snypa visited this lake previously and posted about it here. He has some nice shots of the lake itself.)
This is a small lake, but surprisingly deep, and perfect for small watercraft. Shore fishing access appears to be mainly from a spot on the side of the lake, just behind the metal road barrier. It is fairly shallow here, and it makes a good launching spot if you plan to go out on the lake.
I didn't get here until about 10:00 in the morning. It was warm and slightly overcast, with a breeze blowing in from the south. I launched my kickboat and paddled along the north shore, but only managed to catch one little rockbass along the way.
Then I got to the far west end of the lake, and managed to catch 4 decent bass (1 to 2 lb) in about an hour, of which 2 are pictured below. I had to use slightly different tactics than I'm used to... there are weeds, but they are very deep... and that's where the fish seemed to be. I only took one bass on a shallow lure (in-line spinner); the other 3 were caught on a fairly heavy hair-jig attached to a spinner arm with a small Colorado blade, fished deep.
I said it above, and I'll repeat it: this lake is deeper than you would expect. The water is nice and clear, though, and I was able to see bottom... I'm guessing 20 to 30 foot depth. I saw what appeared to be some fairly large fish swimming along the bottom; they were really just shadows, but they were definitely moving. I could see them well enough to say that I think they were bass, judging by their shapes.
One minor detraction from the day's outing... while out on the water, a white-haired lady yelled across the water to me (from the deck of one of the big houses on the north shore) that this was a "private lake". I didn't feel like arguing with somebody's grandma, and it was time for me to leave anyway, but it still kind of pissed me off. Otherwise, it was an enjoyable morning.
toober
