Rib Lake Fishing near Kirkland Lake, Ontario

• Overview

  Timiskaming District, Ontario, is where Rib Lake sits. It sits at 349 metres above sea level. It runs to roughly 45 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The shoreline runs about 5.9 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Start from Kirkland Lake, 28 km down the road. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 190 km distant. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Rib Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Timiskaming District cover brook trout, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Rib Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 17°C on average, January about -17°C. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Rib Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Little Sarsfield Lake at 4.9 km is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Rib Lake for certain.