Fishing at West Rose Lake, Nipissing District, Ontario

• Overview

  West Rose Lake belongs to Nipissing District, Ontario. The surface lies 442 metres up. It runs to roughly 14 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Ontario listings. 46 km away sits United Townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde, the nearest town. The nearest city of size is Barrie, 152 km away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on West Rose Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Nipissing District include smallmouth bass, cisco and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On West Rose Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 18°C, the coldest about -12°C. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. On West Rose Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try March Hare Lake, 1.4 km away. Rules at West Rose Lake are worth checking on the day.