Musky Mayhem in the Kawarthas

Experience top-notch musky fishing on Buckhorn Lake in the heart of the Kawarthas.

The Kawartha Lakes in southeastern Ontario, Canada are a great escape, with multiple lakes loaded with muskies. Last summer, while filming an episode of The Musky Hunter Television Show, we stayed at Scotsman Point Resort on Buckhorn Lake in the heart of the Kawarthas and experienced the musky mayhem that these lakes are known to produce.

The Kawarthas is located approximately 100 miles northeast of Toronto, and consist of 14 lakes that form a major link in the Trent-Severn waterway, connecting Georgian Bay in Lake Huron with Lake Ontario. These lakes do produce a few trophy 50-inch class muskies every year but are most well-known as action waters. If you want to catch your first musky, or actually catch a bunch of muskies, the Kawartha Lakes are the place.

Scotsman Point Resort, located on Buckhorn Lake in the heart of the Kawartha lakes, has easy access to many of the lakes in the chain. It has all the amenities for any musky hunter including great cabins, a great docking system, and even its own boat launch. You can literally launch the boat and be fishing in a matter of minutes, as there are several great musky spots in sight of camp. Buckhorn lake is loaded with muskies, but if you want a little variety there are lots of musky lakes literally a short boat ride away, offering a variety of water colour and structure to fish.

scotsman-point-resort

Musky fishing in the Kawarthas is mostly about fishing weeds. Early in our trip, we had sunny and bright conditions and encountered the muskies along deeper weed edges in 11-18 feet of water. We caught muskies on large soft plastics such as Bulldawgs in both black and walleye patterns. On such bright days, expect early morning and late evening to be best, which is typical of most musky waters.

Day two brought entirely different conditions, including clouds and rain. Although many vacationers consider such dark and dreary days a shopping opportunity in Bobcaygeon, musky anglers dream of these days. On this particular day, the Kawarthas did not disappoint and the muskies were everywhere. It was pure musky mayhem.

We found the muskies in the shallow weed cover (6 - 8 feet) and they were chasing smaller bucktails such as showgirls and Junior Cowgirls. Key colours included black and orange, and black and gold. During the first four hours of the morning, we were fishing fast and the muskies were striking and following. It seemed every weed bed was holding muskies. After we took a break for an hour or so to avoid a storm, we were back on the water and the muskies were still biting.

muskie

By the end of the day, we had boated eight muskies and lost several others, with over 20 other muskies following lures to the boat. It was an awesome musky day, and it made an incredible television episode. I am frequently asked why we film on the Kawarthas, and my response is always the same. It’s simply a fun place to chase muskies, and it seems no matter the conditions, you can always catch them. It’s just not something you can say about many other musky waters.

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

5 Places to Shore Fish

Fish’n Canada shows you where to go shore fishing in Ontario.

Don’t Be Afraid Of Muskies

Muskies are fish of 10,000 casts and are found in large bodies of water in Northwestern Ontario.

Guided Fishing on Lake St. Clair

Captain Jim remembers over 600 muskies in a 3 month period.

In Search of Solitude and Wild Brook Trout

Fly fishing adventures to remote rivers

Experiencing Prince Edward County - The Angler’s Way

Walleye fishing on the world-famous Bay of Quinte.

Four Seasons of Bass in Ontario

Northern Ontario is home to year-round bass.

Eating Northern Pike

The Best Recipe to Cook This Fish

Top 5 Flies for Smallmouth Bass

The inside scoop on bass flies from the hosts of The New Fly Fisher.

Steelhead and Salmon of Northern Ontario

Ontario's north is home to tributaries of Lake Superior and Lake Huron—and many species of salmon and steelhead

5 Adjustments for Fishing Cold Front Smallmouth Bass in Ontario

Smallmouth bass are considered the weather watchers of fresh water.

HIdden Bay Lodge

Fly-in to Armit Lake for Epic Walleye Fishing

Discover Chapleau Lodge

Smallmouth bass fishing on Borden Lake

Top 10 Fly Patterns for Brook Trout

Learn Brook Trout Fly Pattern Choices for Surface Fly Fishing

Speed is Key When Fishing for Muskie in Northern Ontario

Anglers need to balance the size of their lure with the speed of their retrieve.

The Ontario Fall Crappie Hunt

Ontario's 400,000 lakes are home to a variety of fish species.

Bear Creek Bruisers

Fishing Musky on Lake Nipissing

Sun Trout and Ice

Algoma's Elliot Lake for days of Sun and catching Trout on the Ice.

Long Nose Gar

A Fish for the Bucket List

Tomiko Lake Lodge

An Outstanding Resort for Fishing and Families

Become a World-class Fishing Guide

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