HOUSTON LAKE MINING INC.

(HLM-TSX.V)

PRESS RELEASE

Houston Lake Seeks to Expand High Grade Gold Zones at West Cedartree

February 5, 2003: Sudbury, Ontario - Houston Lake Mining Inc. (TSX.V:HLM, "Houston Lake") is pleased to report that the Company will be commencing exploration the West Cedartree Gold Project located near Sioux Narrows in the Kenora Mining District of Ontario. Line-cutting and geophysical crews have been contracted and are expected to begin work on the site within the next two weeks. The exploration program will also involve geological mapping, mechanized stripping and channel sampling which will start after Spring break up. The work will seek to expand upon the high grade gold-bearing zones verified in channel sampling this past summer.

The Company now owns or has under 100 percent option a total of 603.6 hectares (1490.9 acres) over four properties in the West Cedartree Lake area. The property is accessed by an all-weather gravel road which traverses the northern portions of the project area. The land package now covers a 2.6 km. (1.56 mile) strike of the rocks hosting the gold-bearing shear zones described below.

Historic work on the McLennan gold property had focused on the McLennan Shear Zone ("MSZ") at the northerly-striking contact of mafic volcanics with a large gabbro body. "Drilling carried out by Noranda Mines in 1944-45 encountered significant gold-bearing intersections over a strike length of 280m. (918 ft.). Typical intersections along the shear zone and off shoot shears are: 0.20 oz/t Au over 1.2 ft., 0.53 oz/t Au over 18.0 ft., 0.25 oz/t Au over 3.0 ft., 0.55 oz/t Au over 1.5 ft., 1.35 oz/t Au over 3.5 ft." (Dr. K. Germundsen, P. Geo., Internal Company Report, 2002).

Table 1. New Shear Zone ("NSZ") Channel Sampling Results

In 1997 a new 10 to 20 metre wide shear zone ("NSZ") was identified internal to the gabbro and had a strike length in excess of 800 metres (2,624 feet). Trenching and stripping was carried out earlier this past summer. Over 100 metres (328 feet) of the NSZ was exposed along strike and the NSZ remains open in both directions. Channel sampling tested a 70 metre strike length of the newly exposed zone and confirmed earlier high grade gold grab sample results obtained in 1997. Sixty channel samples were taken in the vicinity of the NSZ and returned results that varied from trace to 47.1 g/t Au (1.374 oz/t Au) and averaged 1.88 g/t Au (0.055 oz/t Au). The table above illustrates the three completed channels that were taken perpendicular to the strike of the NSZ from north to south over the stripped area: Channel 1 at 5m. (16.4 ft.), Channel 2 at 17.5m. (57.4 ft.), and Channel 3 at 75m. (246.0 ft.).

The current exploration program will seek to extend the gold-bearing zones along strike into the southern portions of the project area and to evaluate several gold showings noted on government maps. A surveyed grid of approximately 70 line-km (42 miles) will be set up to guide geophysics (magnetics and VLF-EM) and subsequent geological mapping and mechanized stripping.

Houston Lake is actively exploring for Gold, Platinum Group Metals and Rare Metals with a strategic focus on northwestern Ontario. The Company has a total of 15,803,195 common shares issued and outstanding. The common shares of Houston Lake Mining Inc. trade through the facilities of the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol HLM. For further information on all of the Company's projects, we invite you to visit us at www.houstonlakemining.com.

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