Great Northern Gold completes twenty hole drill program and extends McCafferty gold zone at depth

VANCOUVER, April 29, 2013 - Great Northern Gold Exploration Corporation, ("Great Northern Gold" or the "Company") announced that it has received the assay results for the last 9 holes of the previously announced 2133 meter drilling program on its 8880 hectare Wekusko Gold Property in Northern Manitoba, testing gold targets on the one kilometer by three kilometer (1km x 3km) McCafferty Grid (see press release dated January 24, 2013). The McCafferty gold-bearing quartz vein is exposed on the grid in a series of trenches and two shafts over a strike length of 350 meters.

Five of the last 9 holes were geological reconnaissance exploration holes drilled 2.2 to 3.3 km NE of the McCafferty gold zone. The final 4 holes tested the McCafferty gold zone at the 50m and 90m levels on two sections. Results from previously released drill hole intersections from this program can be reviewed on our website, referencing our March 13, 2013 news release.

The final 4 drill holes, GN-13-17 to GN-13-20 intersected the near vertically dipping McCafferty gold zone, extending the zone to at least the 90.5 m level. Results of the 4 holes are set out in the following table:

Drill hole #  Intersection   Vertical depth of zone  Core length 	Grade Returned
GN-13-17 	65.7 - 67.2 m 	49 m Level 	1.5 meters 	14.6 grams Au
GN-13-18 	100.05 - 101.3 m 	92 m Level 	1.25 meters 	1.52 grams Au*
GN-13-19 	74.45 - 75.6 m 	56 m Level 	1.15 meters 	9.19 grams Au
GN-13-20 	101.5 -102.7 m 	90.5 m Level 	1.2 meters 	5.98 grams Au

*In hole GN-13-18 the core was badly broken and ground up during drilling, providing poor sample recovery of the mineralized vein. Core lengths have been estimated to be approximately 80% true width.


Previously shallow drilling was concentrated at and above the 35m level of the McCafferty gold zone. The following table sets out results from the 2005-2006 drilling programs conducted by Black Pearl Mineral Consolidated Inc on the McCafferty gold zone:

Drill hole #  Intersection   Vertical depth of zone  Core length 	Grade Returned
BP-05 - 58 	40.3 - 40.85 m 	36 m Level 	.55 meters 	18.9 grams  Au
BP-05 - 55 	21.03 - 22.1 m 	15 m Level 	1.07 meters 	17.0 grams Au
BP-05 - 56 	33.55 - 35.4 m 	30 m Level 	1.85 meters 	50.18 grams Au
BP- 06-10 	61.25 - 62.9 m 	50 m Level 	1.65 meters 	11.4 grams Au
BP-05 - 41 	31.6 - 32.4 	22 m Level 	0.80 meters 	57.95 grams Au
BP-05 - 42 	39.9 - 41.7 m 	35 m Level 	1.80 meters 	18.63 grams Au
BP-05 - 27 	19.9 - 20.9 m 	14 m Level 	1.00 meters 	18.27 grams Au
BP-05 - 50 	27.0 - 28.1 m 	30 m Level 	1.10 meters 	14.2 grams Au

The Company has not yet done sufficient work to verify these historic drill results and does not intend to use the information for purposes other than planning and prioritizing future exploration targets.

The 5 geological reconnaissance holes did not intersect significant gold values, although extensive hydrothermal actinolite/biotite/chlorite/carbonate and/or sausseritte/sericite plus silicification alteration, accompanied by arsenopyrite and tourmaline was intersected in holes GN-13-12 and GN-13-16. This alteration is analogous to the alteration associated with the gold mineralization at the past producing Snow Lake Mine (formerly the Nor Acme and New Britannia Gold Mines) located approximately 26 km to the northwest.

"The drilling results not only confirm the continuity of the high grade McCafferty gold zone to greater depth but also signify the potential for large tonnage, lower grade Snow Lake Mine type gold deposits within our Wekusko land package," stated Kim Oishi,Chief Executive Officer of Great Northern Gold, "In addition to the McCafferty gold zone high grade gold vein type mineralization has been identified at the Ferro and Gold Dust zones on our property. We are encouraged by the identification of analogous alteration to the Snow Lake Mine, now owned by QMX Gold Corporation, which produced 1.4 million ounces of gold from 12,124,449 tons milled and is presently being assessed with the intention of resuming production".

In addition, the presence of multi-episodic faulting was noted in hole GN-13-16, in an area where several air photo lineaments converge. A number of these faults most likely provided pathways for significant hydrothermal fluid flow resulting in the alteration.

"We are planning a summer exploration program that will further define the complex faulting and favorable alteration distribution, in the vicinity of quartz feldspar porphyry contacts like the area around GN-13-16," said Dan Ziehlke, VP Exploration of Great Northern Gold, "We also plan to conduct MMI geochemistry soil sampling, geological mapping and prospecting around the edges of Jake Lake, Morgan Lake, and other areas where felsic intrusions are associated with gold mineralization. Also, field work will be conducted in the Roberts Lake area over lineaments associated with and sub parallel to a major structure, the Roberts Lake Thrust fault. This geological setting is considered similar to the setting at the Snow Lake Gold Mine where the gold mineralization is associated with subparallel secondary and tertiary faults off the McLeod Road Thrust. The summer program will prioritize areas for detailed geophysical surveys and drill targets for next winters phase-two drill program. The multi episodic gold occurrences found to date on the property warrant further detailed review and analysis".

The core was hand split, to assure maximum sample size and shipped directly to the TSL Lab in Saskatoon SK. from Creighton SK. Canadian Standards were randomly inserted, with repeats of the same standards used throughout the program. Results were returned within the acceptable limits for all Standards, thus confirming the quality of TSL assays. All samples split for analyses were subjected to 40 element ICP-MS, with all samples that returned more than 2 grams of Au from the ICP-MS analyses were subjected to 2 assay ton fire assay. All samples with visible gold were subjected to full metallic assays. The assaying was done by TSL Labs of Saskatoon, SK.

As set out in the Company's NI 43-101 Technical Report dated May 12, 2012 and filed on SEDAR, the Wekusko Gold Property hosts historic and recent discoveries of moderate to high grade gold mineralization in near surface quartz veins. Prospecting and geochemical work north of the high grade Ferro and Rex Laguna trending belts also indicate potential for Snow Lake Mine (formerly New Britannia Mine) type of larger tonnage, lower grade gold deposits. From 1949 to 2005, the Snow Lake Mine produced 1,428,290 ounces of gold recovered from 12,124,449 tons milled for a recovery grade of 0.117 oz/ton.

Daniel Ziehlke, VP of Exploration for Great Northern Gold, is the Company's Qualified Person under the definition of NI 43-101, and has reviewed this press release for accuracy and compliance with NI 43-101. Information relating to adjacent properties has not been verified by Great Northern Gold and is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on the Wekusko Gold Property. The Wekusko Gold Property is an early-stage mineral property and does not contain a resource as defined by NI 43-101.


About Great Northern Gold Exploration Corporation

Great Northern Gold is a gold exploration company operating in Northern Canada and has an option to earn a 100% undivided interest in the property known as the Wekusko Property located 23 kilometers southeast of Snow Lake, Manitoba and comprising 55 mineral claims totaling approximately 8,880 hectares. Great Northern Gold has also entered into a Property Option Agreement to earn a 100% undivided interest in the property known as the Ferro Mine Property located 23 kilometers southeast of Snow Lake, Manitoba and east of Wekusko Lake, Manitoba. Please visit www.greatnortherngold.com for more information.


Capitalization:

Number of common shares outstanding: 20,220,867
Number of fully diluted shares outstanding: 24,507,533


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For further information:

Kim Oishi, CEO
Great Northern Gold Exploration Corporation
Toronto : (416) 804 9228
Vancouver : (778) 997 6228
Email: koishi@greatnortherngold.com