Fishing Rabbit Lake in Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Rabbit Lake is one of the Nipissing District listings for Ontario. Land around it is pine and birch. Small at around 9 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. For supplies, Petawawa is 56 km out. Further out sit Chalk River (57 km) and Eganville (58 km). Close by you also have: Redpine Lake 1.5 km away, Jacks Lake (2.2 km), Gun Lake 2.3 km away, Finger Lake (3 km) and Aylen Lake 3.4 km away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Rabbit Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Nipissing District, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, cisco and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Rabbit Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -13°C. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Plan any trip to Rabbit Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Redpine Lake is 1.5 km distant. Nothing on Rabbit Lake should be assumed from this page alone.