HOUSTON LAKE MINING INC.

(HLM-TSX.V)

PRESS RELEASE

Exploration to Commence on Ghost Lake Rare Metals Property

September 30, 2003: Sudbury, Ontario - Houston Lake Mining Inc. (TSX.V:HLM, "Houston Lake") is pleased to announce that the Company is commencing a geological mapping and sampling program contingent on the mobilization of field crews to Ghost Lake Rare Metals Property which is located near Dryden, Ontario. The exploration program follows up on line-cutting and geophysical surveys completed last year on the 464 hectare (1188 acre) property. Houston Lake’s Ghost Lake project is juxtaposed along trend between True North Gems (TGX.V) property, which is being explored for emeralds and private company Emerald Fields Resources Ltd.’s Mavis Lake tantalum and VMS project.

Houston Lake is required to pay $12,500 and issue 75,000 shares to a private individual to complete the 100% earn in of the-year Ghost Lake option. The one hundred percent option is subject to a 2.5 percent Net Smelter Royalty ("NSR") with a buyback of $500,000 per 0.5 percent NSR to a maximum of 1.5 percent. A well-developed road system provides excellent access into project area.

The Ghost Lake property covers the Boundary Zone which spans over 3.2 km (2.0 miles) of a newly defined extension of the Cat Lake-Winnipeg River Pegmatite Field, one of most important domains of rare metal (tantalum) mineralization in the Canadian Shield and host to the world-class Tanco tantalum mine. Significant rare element mineralizing systems with appreciable values of tantalum, cesium, beryllium, rubidium and tin have been previously identified during work conducted by the Ontario Geological Survey ("OGS") over the property. Reported values of the OGS include 186 g/t (0.019%) tantalum oxide and 115 g/t (0.012%) tin (E. Berger, 1990) and 179 g/t (0.018%) tantalum oxide (F. Breaks, 1991).

The high concentration and potential of the Ghost Lake property is emphasized by an elevated tantalum to niobium ratio of approximately 3:1 which approaches that of the Company’s Pakeagama Lake tantalum mineralizing system. Pronounced and broad lithium (holmquistite) and boron (tourmaline) anomalies are traceable for over 650 metres (2100 feet) on the Ghost Lake property and have been found elsewhere to be significant pathfinders to rare metal (tantalum) mineralization. Dr. Breaks confirms that some gem quality emeralds occur within the Boundary Zone.

The Ghost Lake property also encompasses a portion of the former Sanmine tungsten-gold property. A 1525 by 488 metre (5000 by 1600 foot) area with reported assays of 0.1 percent tungsten oxide has been outlined by prior work. The tungsten mineralization coincides with a mafic volcanic sequence. Tungsten is used to strengthen metal alloys.

The Company completed line-cutting, and geophysical surveys (magnetic and VLF-EM) surveys last summer. A number of VLF-EM conductors with strike lengths of over 2.0 km. (1.6 miles) have been identified and will be investigated in the upcoming program. The recognition of the newly defined extension of the Cat Lake-Winnipeg River Pegmatite Field spanning the property, new rock outcrops exposed by recent logging activity, and growing interest in precious and semi-precious stones in the vicinity of the property add to the Company’s interest in the Ghost Lake project. Worldwide demand for certain rare metals is resulting in shortened supplies as their uses in the manufacturing of high tech devices and components are increasing.

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 16,009,695 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, we invite you to visit us at www.houstonlakemining.com.

For more information, please contact:

Web Site: www.houstonlakemining.com

The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved of the information contained herein.