The French River system is home to some incredible fishing. Many anglers come here to target the walleye, bass or huge muskie. You can find pretty much everything in here. To go along with walleye and muskie, you will also find northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, perch, sturgeon, catfish and sunfish too. Many anglers come here just to fish the French River, but for the anglers who are coming to fish Lake Nipissing, it’s always nice to have the river as an option when you get windy days.
Largemouth Bass
There are many spots throughout the French River that are home to some very good largemouth bass fishing. You’re going to find them around the docks and the shallower little bays that have a lot of vegetation.
Muskie
The French River is very popular for muskie anglers. These fish are spread throughout the river system and you can usually find them without having to fish super deep. With all the points, rocky shorelines, deeper weed edges near shallow cover, you can easily find productive muskie spots easier than it will would be to target them on a bigger lake. This river system is also known for holding some very big fish, so if you’re looking for a trophy muskie destination, this is definitely one worth putting on your list.
Northern Pike
The French River has plenty of northern pike, so if you want to target these fish, you don’t have to go out on the big lake to chase pike. There are some trophy fish in this river system too. You will find them in all the common river spots. Fish the current breaks in the areas with current. Fish the weeds, rocky shorelines, points and nice drop-offs throughout the river.
Smallmouth Bass
The French River is home to some awesome smallmouth bass fishing. Many anglers may come here for the walleye or muskie, but there are plenty that come here to fish for smallmouth bass. The weedy areas of the river will usually hold plenty of largemouth bass and some smallmouth bass will be mixed in too, however, the rocky structure is going to hold most of the smallies here. Fish the rocky shorelines, humps, points and nice drop-offs throughout the river system and you will catch plenty of smallmouth bass here.
Walleye
Many anglers come here to specifically target walleye in the river. The fishing is very good for numbers and trophy fish too. You can also catch plenty of fish from spring through fall in the river, although, the spring and fall are definitely the peak times to be fishing here. Whether you come here for walleye or end up having to fish here for a day or two because it is too windy to get out on the big lake, you will have plenty of options for targeting walleye. Fish the weeds, rocks and the nice drop-offs throughout the river and you’ll find walleye.
Panfish
Sunfish
The French River has plenty of sunfish too. It’s a very diverse fishery, so if you are fishing with worms on the river, you will most likely run into some sunfish.
Yellow Perch
You can also catch them throughout the French River. Target the weed beds all along the river and you should find some perch.
