Ellis Lake Fishing in District Municipality of Muskoka, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in District Municipality of Muskoka, Ontario, this is Ellis Lake. The country here is lake country bush. At 5 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is a small entry by District Municipality of Muskoka standards. The closest town, Bracebridge, is 16 km distant. After that come Huntsville at 25 km and Gravenhurst at 28 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Ellis Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. County-wide records name pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and rock bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of Ellis Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 18°C and January near -11°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Time your trip to Ellis Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Tackaberry Lake at 0.9 km is the sensible second choice. Treat Ellis Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.