Gaskell's Lake in District Municipality of Muskoka: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Gaskell's Lake in District Municipality of Muskoka, Ontario. The country here is lake country bush. Small at around 5 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our District Municipality of Muskoka list. 26 km away sits Huntsville, the nearest town. The big place round here is Barrie, 93 km distant. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Gaskell's Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across District Municipality of Muskoka include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Gaskell's Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 19°C in July and bottom out at -10°C in January. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That shapes the year on Gaskell's Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. A picnic spot sits 1.2 km from the bank. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Beaton Lake at 1.1 km is the nearest alternative. Treat access at Gaskell's Lake as something to verify.