Fishing at Rat Lake, District Municipality of Muskoka, Ontario

• Overview

  You will find Rat Lake in District Municipality of Muskoka, Ontario. Mixed forest runs right down to the water. The water covers some 53 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. At about 13 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. It lies lower than most water we list in Ontario. Nearest place of any size is Gravenhurst, 13 km away. The big place round here is Barrie, 54 km distant. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Rat Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across District Municipality of Muskoka, recorded fish include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Rat Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 19°C and January near -10°C on the long-run figures. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Anyone fishing Rat Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, L Lake is 2.9 km off. Check the current arrangement for Rat Lake.