Moxam Lake Fishing near Bancroft, Ontario

• Overview

  Out in Hastings County, Ontario, sits Moxam Lake. The surface lies 417 metres up. The water measures roughly 8 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. The closest town, Bancroft, is 18 km distant. The big place round here is Kingston, 156 km distant. Water in the same corner: Graphite Lake 1.6 km away, Selby Lake (3.4 km), O'Shaughnessy Lake 4.8 km away, Hybla Lake (4.9 km) and Bartlett Lake 5.1 km away. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Moxam Lake

  Depth figures are not published 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. Reported across Hastings County: rock bass, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Moxam Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 18°C; the cold one sits at -12°C. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late November in autumn. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. That shapes the year on Moxam Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Graphite Lake is 1.6 km distant. The position on Moxam Lake is worth confirming on the day.