Upper Oxbow Lake near Huntsville: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Look for Upper Oxbow Lake in District Municipality of Muskoka, Ontario. The water sits 423 metres up. With some 17 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 2.6 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Some 21 km away sits Huntsville, the nearest settlement. The nearest city of size is Barrie, 125 km away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Upper Oxbow Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Public occurrence data for District Municipality of Muskoka names pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and northern pike. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Upper Oxbow Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 18°C; the cold one sits at -12°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. The lid tends to go about late April and return around late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Plan around that when you fish Upper Oxbow Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Pup Lake is 0.8 km distant. Check the position on Upper Oxbow Lake before loading the car.