Small Mouth Bass Fishing at Eagle Lake Island Lodge

Smallmouth Bass were introduced into Eagle Lake, Ontario around the 1930’s. Pound for pound there isn’t a better fighting fresh water fish. Eagle Lake is a great under-rated Smallmouth Bass fishery. Eagle has a well known walleye and musky population so attracts those anglers by the droves but hasn’t really hit the radar of the mainstream bass anglers so doesn’t receive the pressure of many other well known bass lakes. There are bass regulations that have also helped support a very healthy Smallie population with an average length of 18-21”. You can’t keep any smallmouth over 13 ¾” or 35cm from January 1st through June 30th. Limits in this timeframe are Sport license -2 and Conservation -1
From July 1st to November 30th there is no size limit but limit amounts are S-4 and C-2.
*Note that we encourage a catch and release for Bass in general

Bass eat a larger variety of things than Walleyes because they eat in all water levels. The key trick is to put a lure in that depth range once you know where they are. Some of our serious bass anglers like to come when the sanctuary opens at the end of May through mid-June when they are spawning or just finishing up. The Fish sanctuary (Meridian Bay)  has no fishing from April 1st to May 31st.  This time of year, our guides look for weedy, shallow bays on an easterly shoreline.

For a good part of the season you’ll find the bass around weeds, gravel and rocky areas that receive the afternoon sun. In the summer as the water temperatures climb, smallmouth bass move deeper to offshore rock structure. Look for reefs, humps, reefs, and saddles from 14 to 24 feet. Jig and night crawler combinations are always a stand by method for success that also will work for walleyes.

In the fall, as the water temperature drops, smallmouth bass can be found even deeper near submerged humps and similar structure.

Tackle

*6-10 lb braided line (PowerPro)
*Barrel swivel (attached to leader)
*6-10 lb Fluorocarbon leader (approx. 1 ft length)

Medium light - medium action spinning or baitcasting rod

 Lures

*Skirted Jigs with soft plastic crayfish body, or Mr. twister tail   (Colours -white, red, blue, black)
*Rattle Traps / Blade baits - crayfish or baitfish imitation.
*Small Deep diving crank baits 
*Johnson Beetle Spin
*Spinnerbaits and Buzzbaits
*Jigs with Soft plastic tubes, swimbait, leeches, lizards, worms 

 Topwater (use on no/low wind days)

*Skitter pop / walk 
*Chug Bugs
*Topwater minnow baits with propellers
*Heddon Zara Spooks
*Rebel Pop-R