Big Moose Muskies

Lake Nosbonsing offers opportunities to catch a true trophy musky

Big Moose Camp on Lake Nosbonsing is approximately three hours north of Toronto. Lake Nosbonsing, which is just south of North Bay, is an often overlooked musky water, but it offers some great musky fishing. Lake Nosbonsing is only six miles long but it is filled with lots of great musky spots and is fishable in any weather condition.

Lake Nosbonsing has stained water but approximately five-foot of visibility. It seems every point has nice weeds extending into deep water, also many of the bays have deep weeds to 11 feet. Add the fact that there are several mid-lake humps that are either rock or have weeds in the center, making this lake a musky angler’s paradise. This lake is a sleeper musky water as it’s often in the shadow of Lake Nipissing, but the big muskies that come from Nosbonsing are very impressive.

While filming The Musky Hunter, we stayed at Big Moose Camp, this resort is top-notch. The cabins were incredible and the sunrise view overlooking the lake was breathtaking. Big Moose Camp has its own boat launch and a great docking facility to keep your boat safe. It’s easy to drive to the resort, launch the boat, and go musky fishing.

big moose camp, north bay ontario

Beautiful Lake Nosbonsing sunrise at Big Moose Camp. (Photo credit: The Musky Hunter)

Musky fishing on this lake isn’t necessarily about catching a bunch of muskies, but the opportunity at a trophy. Sure, catching several muskies in a day is a possibility with good fishing conditions, but realistically you hope for a bite every day and the opportunity at catching a fifty-incher is real!

There are lots of techniques that can be effective on Nosbonsing. If you are into trolling, utilizing spinnerbaits to troll through the many weed flats and the bays can be extremely effective. Also, trolling crankbaits among the many deeper humps and break lines can be effective. If you prefer to cast, the opportunities are almost endless. You'll want to cast bucktails and topwater in the shallow weeds, or fish crankbaits, jerkbaits, and Bulldawgs along the deeper weeds. Also, out from the weeds, several of the points extend deeper into the basin beyond the weeds. Casting Bulldawgs along these deeper rocks can be effective. Another great casting option is casting the many deeper rock and weed humps with Bulldawgs, and crankbaits. Regarding lure colours, anything with perch or gold/orange blades is very effective.

When we were filming an episode of The Musky Hunter we faced some pretty difficult post-frontal conditions. Air temperatures had dropped 20 degrees, skies were clear and there was no wind. The muskies weren’t using the shallower weed cover but were located around deeper weed and rock humps. We could see walleyes and perch located near these humps and were casting Bulldawgs and other large soft plastics around the humps. Although fishing was tough, we managed to catch one giant fish from Nosbonsing. If you are looking for manageable musky water in any weather condition, that’s just north of Toronto, Lake Nosbonsing is a perfect choice, and there is no question the place to stay is Big Moose Camp.

About Jim Saric

Jim owns Jim Saric Outdoors, Inc., which is dedicated to elevating the sport of musky fishing to new levels by educating anglers through print, web, and television. He is the publisher, editor and owner of Musky Hunter Magazine and the Executive Producer of The Musky Hunter television series. Jim has over twenty-five years experience fishing lakes, rivers, and reservoirs from Minnesota to New York and all across Canada. He has boated more than 100 muskies exceeding 50 inches in length, the largest weighing 53 pounds.

Recommended Articles

Shallow Water Walleye

Learn Tips and Techniques From The Extreme Angler

Big Boat Portaging

Fishing on Lady Evelyn Lake in Northeastern Ontario

Prime Time for Ontario Panfish

The best time to ice fish for crappies and panfish is when the predator activity is low

Family Friendly Fishing Getaways in Northern Ontario

Fish TV rediscovers 2 fishing lodges for bass and walleye.

Into the Bear's Den: Bass Fishing on the French River

They say don’t poke the bear unless you are prepared to get bit!

A Multispecies Mecca: Lake of the Woods

From Lake Trout to Pike and everything in between, Lake of the Woods is calling

Bivins’ Bounce Crappies

This technique is a must for crappie fishing

Bobber Down

You’ll double your hook-up ratio and find yourself constantly yelling, "Bobber down!"

The Ultimate Social Distancing Getaway

Lots of wilderness, space, and fresh air in Ontario.

Spring is in the Air

4 tips and recommendations to help prepare anglers for open water fishing season

Crawford’s Diamond in the Rough

A year-round resort for the true die-hard angler on Lake of the Woods

Making Memories

Killarney Mountain Lodge serves as a backdrop for a meaningful outing between friends

Three Surefire Solutions for Catching Canadian Muskies

Ontario, Canada is a dream destination for all musky anglers

Cranking Up The Heat in Northern Ontario

Tips for Using Crankbaits When Fishing Bass

The Spin on Early Season Walleye

Depending on where you are walleye fishing in Ontario, the conditions range from early spring to near summer-like.

Who Let the Dawgs Out

Fishing Muskie on the Ottawa River

Become a World-class Fishing Guide

Misconceptions, behind-the-scenes intel, and key tips from a professional guide.

Don't Let the Name Perch Lake Fool You

These Northern Ontario waters are packed with northern pike like you'll never believe, abundant gourmet walleye, and yellow perch await.

Wag Your Tail For More Walleye, Bass and Trout

Fishing with friends brings camaraderie and a lesson, or two.

The 3 Best Baits For Northern Ontario Walleye

Catch those golden bars in any lake depth.