Oxtoby Lake in Cochrane District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Oxtoby Lake belongs to Cochrane District, Ontario. The setting is taiga on every side. With some 61 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 3.5 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It lies lower than most water we list in Ontario. The closest town, Longlac, is 228 km distant. Geraldton lies 234 km off, Greenstone another 235 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Oxtoby Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Cochrane District list northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker, Iowa darter and logperch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Oxtoby Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -22°C and July at about 16°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Everything is compressed into the middle of the year. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. The water is typically free of ice between early May and early November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Time your trip to Oxtoby Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Mabie Lake, 14 km away. The position on Oxtoby Lake is worth confirming on the day.