4,000 Metre Phase IV Drill Program Is Slated To Begin This Week

Sudbury, Ontario – December 2, 2009 – Houston Lake Mining Inc. (TSX.V: HLM), an advanced exploration company seeking gold, platinum group and rare metal deposits in Ontario, is pleased to announce that a 4,000 metre Phase IV diamond drill program is scheduled to begin this week on the Company’s 100% optioned Dubenski Property. The property is located near Kenora, Ontario. The goal of the drill program is to add resources between the Shaft and Central Zones and to the west of the Shaft Zone, thereby extending the limits of these zones. The initial, dual-purpose, results driven program is designed to continue the evaluation of the Shaft and Central Zones and to examine the down plunge and western extensions of the same zones. Technical crews are on site in preparation for the upcoming drill program.
 
“Our previous drilling campaigns on Dubenski have been very successful and allowed us to dramatically upgrade our resource estimate,” commented E. Grayme Anthony, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our new drill program will test Dubenski’s 1.7 km long IP geophysical target along strike and at depth. During previous drilling the Shaft Zone was terminated by a fault. We believe we have located the continuation of the high grade Shaft Zone in Drill Hole 47. New drilling will test that theory. We’re also planning several holes that will test the IP anomaly at depth. If successful these deep holes will significantly impact the property’s potential. By carefully planning our drilling, we are hoping to glean a lot of information about our Dubenski property from this 4000 metre program.”

Table 1. Selected Core Length Intercepts, Dubenski Shaft Zone, 2008-9 Program,

The above table illustrates highlights of the winter 2008 and 2009 drill programs (see Company press release dated May 1, 2008 and April 20, 2009). The holes were drilled at 45 degrees to 67 degrees. True widths are estimated to be 70.7 percent of the core lengths reported for the 45 degree and 39.1 percent of the 67 degree holes. Of note hole 47 may represent the faulted off continuation of the high grade Shaft Zone.

Houston Lake is currently funded for an extensive winter program at West Cedartree. The Phase IV drill program is an independent recommendation of a NI 43-101 report that upgrades the resource calculation for the Dubenski Property. The final report is expected to be filed on SEDAR.com within the next few weeks. Results are also pending from channel sampling of Vein No. 5 at the 100% owned Dogpaw property which adjoins the Dubenski property to the west.

About the Dubenski Property

The Dubenski property is one of eight contiguous properties comprising the Company’s 100% owned and optioned 1,674 hectare (4,135 acre) West Cedartree Gold Project located near Kenora, Ontario. The project area encompasses three zones hosting gold resources at Angel Hill (NI 43-101 compliant), Dogpaw Lake No. 1 Vein (historic) and Dubenski Mineralized Zone (NI 43-101 compliant).

The Dubenski property contains an historic resource which was reported to extend to a depth of 150m (492 ft.) and includes the Shaft, Central and East Zones. Drilling by Houston Lake in winter of 2008 has defined the Shaft Zone for a strike length of 60 metres (197 feet) and to a depth of approximately 100 metres (328 feet). Phase II and III drill results successfully extended the Phase I drill program and NI 43-101 resource from 60 metres to 365 metres along strike. P&E Mining Consultants Inc. of Brampton, Ontario were contracted to prepare a NI 43-101 compliant Mineral Resource estimate to encompass the Phases I, II, and III (see press release dated November 5, 2009). The categorized Mineral Resources are:

Table 1. Dubenski Mineralized Zone Resource Estimate Utilizing Optimized Pit Shell

(1) The updated resource for the Dubenski Mineralized Zone was estimated on the basis of the Oct 31/09 24 month trailing average Au price of US$895/oz and $US exchange rate of $0.92. The open pit cut-off grade of 0.65 g/t Au was derived from $C2.50/tonne mining, C$15/tonne processing, C$5/tonne G&A and 95% process recovery. The open pit portion of the resource was defined in a 50 degree slope optimized pit shell. The underground cut-off grade of 2.5 g/t Au was derived from $55/tonne mining, C$15/tonne processing and C$5/tonne G&A and 95% process recovery.
(2) Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.  The estimate of mineral resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues.
(3) The quantity and grade of reported inferred resources in this estimation are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define these inferred resources as an indicated or measured mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to an indicated or measured mineral resource category.
(4) The mineral resources in this press release were estimated using the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines prepared by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions and adopted by CIM Council December 11, 2005.

Due Diligence

All samples reported were shipped to TSL Laboratories, an ISO accredited facility, of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Samples were analyzed by fire assay utilizing a 50 gram charge. All samples were assayed with an AA finish and those samples assaying above 3 g/mt gold were retested utilizing a gravimetric finish. The samples were re-checked at a second qualified laboratory in keeping with the Company’s standard due diligence procedures.

This news release was reviewed by Bryan McKay, P. Geo., who is the Qualified Person under the guidelines of the National Instrument 43-101.

About Houston Lake Mining Inc.

Houston Lake is an advanced, vertically integrated resource exploration company.  The Company is actively exploring for gold, platinum group metal and rare metal deposits in northwestern Ontario with a strategic focus on the West Cedartree gold project.  Houston Lake’s objective is to become a gold producer by surface mining its West Cedartree gold project and developing its 100% owned and optioned properties.  The Company has a total of 39,957,638 common shares issued and outstanding.  For additional information, please visit us at www.houstonlakemining.com.

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Forward-looking Statements

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This release includes certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements”. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future production, reserve potential, exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that the Company expects are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and those actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company, Investors should review the Company’s registered filings what are available at www.sedar.com.

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