Fishing at Roach Lake, Timiskaming District, Ontario

• Overview

  Within Timiskaming District, Ontario, you have Roach Lake. The setting is northern bush on every side. The water measures roughly 5 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. On size it sits at the modest end of our Timiskaming District list. The town to know is Kirkland Lake, 22 km out. After that come Englehart at 54 km and Rouyn-Noranda at 64 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Roach Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Timiskaming District cover brook trout, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Read Roach Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -17°C to 17°C. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. Winter locks it down, and early May brings it back. The water is typically free of ice between early May and mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Roach Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Esker Lakes Provincial Park covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Seahorse Lake sits 0.4 km off and takes the overflow. For Roach Lake in particular, ask before you travel.