Smallmouth Bass Fishing — Northwestern Ontario

Big Smallmouth Bass relate to rock. Rocky points, boulder fields, gravel bars, and submerged humps are where you'll find the biggest fish. They use the rocks for both feeding and cover. In clear water, look for the transitions where gravel meets larger boulders — that's the sweet spot.

At Rousseau's Landing, Sandbar Lake and Kukukus Lake both have the kind of rocky structure that grows big Smallmouth. These fish move shallow in the morning and evening and drop deeper during midday. The brothers who read the shoreline and focus on the rockiest sections will find the best fish. Check our Boat Cache Lakes page for where Bass are available.

The dropshot is one of the best finesse setups for Smallmouth Bass holding on gravel flats. Tie a small hook 12 to 18 inches above a 1/4 oz weight, thread on a small finesse worm or minnow-style plastic, and drop it straight down. Keep the bait hovering just off the bottom and shake it gently with your rod tip. Big Smallmouth on gravel can't resist a bait that stays in their face without moving away. At Rousseau's Landing, Sandbar Lake and Kukukus both have gravel flats that hold Smallmouth. The angler with the most patience on the dropshot usually ends up with the biggest fish.

Topwater is the most exciting way to catch Smallmouth, and when they're near vegetation, a small frog or popper walked across the surface triggers explosive strikes. Work it slowly with pauses — the hit usually comes on the pause. Keep a tight grip because Smallmouth blow up on topwater harder than you expect for their size. At Rousseau's Landing, look for weed-adjacent rocky areas on Sandbar Lake and Kukukus where Smallmouth cruise the edges. Morning calm water is your best window. The anglers who fish topwater will have the best action photos of the trip — there's nothing like a Smallmouth launching out of the water.