Bastedo Lake Fishing near Gravenhurst, Ontario

• Overview

  Bastedo Lake is one of the District Municipality of Muskoka waters in Ontario. It sits at 238 metres above sea level. It runs to roughly 15 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Around 2.0 km of margin, front to back. The nearest place of any size is Gravenhurst, 14 km away. Then Bracebridge, 20 km, and Amigo Beach, 30 km. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Bastedo Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for District Municipality of Muskoka list pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and rock bass. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Fish Bastedo Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -10°C in January to roughly 19°C in July. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to early December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. On Bastedo Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A pier 790 m from here gives a platform over deeper water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Little Otter Lake is 2.9 km off. Confirm access to Bastedo Lake locally before you travel.