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    Central Ontario – Muskoka & KawarthasFMZ 17

    Buckhorn Lake – County Rd 23 Launch

    Public launch off County Rd 23, Buckhorn, ON (Tri-Lakes system with Pigeon and Chemong)

    Marker
    Leaflet © OpenStreetMap
    Seasonal availabilityDirections Official FMZ 17 rules

    About this water

    Part of the Tri-Lakes chain and a regular stop on the Muskies Canada derby calendar — excellent early-season shallow-bay fishing.

    Nutrient-rich lake with rocky, sandy, and weedy shorelines, hundreds of kilometres of shoreline, islands, and shallow bays. FMZ 17.

    Largemouth BassYellow PerchWalleyeMuskellunge

    FMZ 17 regulations — Kawartha Lakes & Trent watershed

    The smallest FMZ, in southern Ontario. It includes the Kawartha Lakes, the Trent and Crowe River watersheds, and the eastern rivers and streams of the Oak Ridges Moraine. It is bordered by Lake Ontario to the south (FMZ 20).

    • Walleye: 3rd Sat in May – Dec 15; S-4/C-2 with slot on many lakes.
    • Muskie: fourth Saturday in June – Dec 15; 137 cm min, S-1/C-0.
    • Largemouth / smallmouth bass: 4th Sat in June – Nov 30; S-4/C-2.

    Zone check: FMZ 17 confirmed from this water's coordinates against the official Ontario zone boundaries (reviewed 2026-08-12). The FMZ 15 boundary is only 0.68 km away, so confirm which zone your launch falls in.

    Summary only — always confirm current seasons and limits on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 17 page before your trip.

    Seasonal availability

    Open-season windows for the species found at Buckhorn Lake – County Rd 23 Launch, taken from the FMZ 17 regulation summary. Green months are within a published open season — they are not a prediction of how well fish will bite.

    Best months to plan a tripany listed species open
    Walleye3rd Sat in May – Dec 15
    • S-4/C-2 with slot on many lakes.
    Muskiefourth Saturday in June – Dec 15
    Largemouth / smallmouth bass4th Sat in June – Nov 30

    No FMZ 17 season line published in our summary for: Yellow Perch. Check the official page before keeping these species.

    Summary only, and seasons change annually. Confirm dates on the Ontario MNRF FMZ 17 page before your trip.

    Fishing tips

    • Kawarthas are shallow and weed-heavy — punch mats for summer largemouth.
    • Muskie love the Trent's weed edges and lock approaches.
    • Warm shallow bays turn on first in spring — fish weed edges in 4–8 ft before the main lake wakes up.
    • Access: Free public launch lots — three marked launches around the lake.

    Solunar Calendar— Buckhorn Lake – County Rd 23 Launch

    🌔

    Waxing Gibbous

    93% illuminated · Age 12.2d

    Solunar rating93/100

    🌔 Tue, Aug 25

    93% · Rating 93
    minor8:38 PM – 9:38 PM
    major2:08 AM – 4:08 AM
    minor8:38 AM – 9:38 AM
    major2:08 PM – 4:08 PM

    🌔 Wed, Aug 26

    97% · Rating 98
    minor9:23 PM – 10:23 PM
    major2:53 AM – 4:53 AM
    minor9:23 AM – 10:23 AM
    major2:53 PM – 4:53 PM

    🌕 Thu, Aug 27

    100% · Rating 100
    minor10:06 PM – 11:06 PM
    major3:36 AM – 5:36 AM
    minor10:06 AM – 11:06 AM
    major3:36 PM – 5:36 PM

    Major windows (~2 h) cluster around moon transit and antitransit; minor windows (~1 h) around moonrise and moonset. Local approximations — verify against a printed almanac for planning.

    Gear setup

    Setup:
    Medium spinning for bass and perch; heavy casting for muskie
    Rod:
    7' medium spinning rod
    Reel:
    Size 2500 spinning reel
    Line:
    10 lb braid with 8 lb fluorocarbon leader
    Best bait:
    Worms, Minnows, Leeches
    Best lures:
    Texas-rigged worms, Spinnerbaits, Bucktails, Small crankbaits
    Directions

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