Rock Island Lake Fishing Guide, Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Nipissing District, Rock Island Lake is an Ontario water. It lies 333 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to roughly 1.05 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. Around 8.9 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. It ranks high for size among our Nipissing District listings. Head to North Bay, 29 km away, for anything you forgot. After that come Témiscaming at 36 km and Sturgeon Falls at 38 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Rock Island Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Nipissing District include smallmouth bass, cisco and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Rock Island Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 18°C on average, January about -14°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. The lid tends to go about late April and return around late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Plan any trip to Rock Island Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Notman Lake is 3.6 km distant. Signs at Rock Island Lake carry more weight than any list.