Rice Lake is a good muskie lake, however, it is not known for producing good numbers of big muskie. For many muskie anglers, it would be considered more of an action lake. This lake does receive quite a bit of fishing pressure, so you still may need to put the work in out here to catch a muskie.
It is a Good Numbers Lake for Muskie
If you spend some time learning Rice Lake, you should be able to boat some muskie. Fish during prime feeding times and consider using smaller muskie baits if you’re looking for more action. Because this lake isn’t known for holding lots of huge muskie, you can up your odds of catching more muskie with some of those smaller muskie baits.
Trolling for Muskie
Plenty of anglers have success casting for muskies on Rice Lake, however some of the better muskie anglers on this lake swear by trolling the deeper channels on the south end of the lake. If you aren’t having success casting, you may want to try trolling for muskie on Rice Lake.
Fish the Bays
There are plenty of smaller bays on the lake and you can find plenty of different species of fish in these bays. Muskie will often be found along these weed lines, around rocks and wood as they search for their next meal. Find areas with plenty of fish and start casting your favorite musky baits to see if any bigger fish are hanging around these spots. You can catch muskie in the bays from the muskie opener through the fall.
Fish the Offshore Structure
There is a lot of good water to fish offshore on Rice Lake. Anglers fish the numerous Islands and underwater humps for a variety of fish and muskie will be out here too. The offshore structure will usually hold better numbers of fish and some of the bigger fish during the summer and fall months.
Fish the Points
Rice Lake is home to plenty of points. Whether you’re fishing along the main lake shorelines or points coming off of the islands, this is definitely a pattern you can fish here for several different species of fish and muskie are no different.
Fish the Rivers
Along with the main lake, there are a few incoming rivers that attract plenty of fish. These are the Otonabee, Ouse and the Indian Rivers. The outflowing river is called Trent River and it is located on the lake’s east end. Anglers will fish the mouths of these rivers as well as up into the rivers for a variety of fish. The spring and fall usually attract more fish to these parts of the lake, but don’t rule them out in the summer as well. Some anglers do report some good success fishing the rivers for muskie but it is usually more of an action thing with a lot of the better quality fish being caught out on Rice Lake.
Fish the Weeds
Rice Lake has a lot of vegetation and so many different fish will be in and around the weeds throughout the lake. Early in the summer you’ll find plenty of musky around shower weeds, but as summer temperatures set in, plan on fishing the deeper weeds to find better numbers of muskie.
Fish the Wood
You will find some wood along the shorelines. Anglers usually target the wood for largemouth bass, but you’ll find other species of fish around the wood as well. Some of the shorelines will have some overhanging trees or lay downs while other areas will have a lot of taller trees which provide some great shade for the fish to hide on sunny days. You will usually find more muskie hanging around these spots in the early summer or during low light conditions from mid summer through fall.