Lake Nipissing is big water and it is home to lots of muskie. It usually takes big waters to grow huge fish and this lake grows some massive muskies. Anglers that target them here will have a good chance to catch one, however, it is muskie fishing, so you may fish hard and still not see a fish here. If you put in the time though, you will get rewarded and it could be a very big fish. Anglers target muskie throughout the lake, but the bays are so big here that you don’t have to go fish the main lake to find some muskie. There are plenty of rocky shorelines, bays with vegetation, islands and points to keep you busy.
Catch Big Muskie
Lake Nipissing may be tough on many muskie anglers, so don’t plan on catching several muskie per day when fishing here. What is here though are good numbers of big muskie, so when you do catch one, there is a good chance you may run into a quality fish. Muskie up to and above 50 inches are possible here.
East End of the Lake
The east end of the lake is big water. You have a couple of big bays and a few smaller bays that anglers will fish for muskie. The offshore structure is what really stands out this part of the lake though as most anglers will be fishing for walleye, perch, bass and pike on the offshore rock piles, shoals and reefs. Muskie will be found offshore too as they roam the same offshore structures looking for an easy meal.
West End of the Lake
The west end of the lake is where most muskie anglers are more comfortable. On windier days, you can still fish comfortably and you have so many spots that can hold a muskie. From the weedy bays to rocky points to islands, you can go from spot to spot and be fishing productive looking water all day long.
Fish the Bays
There are plenty of bays on the lake and muskie will be found in many of them as they search for food along the weed lines. Because this lake is so shallow, some of these bays are really shallow. The real shallow bays tend to hold a lot of pike and some largemouth bass. The bays that have a little deeper water with some weed growth are the better bays to fish for muskie.
Fish the Islands
There are some islands on the east end of the lake, but you will find a lot more on the west side of the lake. These islands are great spots to search for muskie from summer through fall. Fish the islands with some vegetation, rocks or a decent drop-off near the island.
Fish the Points
Points hold lots of fish and muskie will be found here too. The wind blown points will hold some muskie all summer and fall. Rocks, weeds and some deeper water near points will help draw some muskie to these areas.
Fish the Offshore Structure
There is a lot of offshore structure out on the main lake. Anglers usually target walleye on these offshore structures. You can target muskie on the rock piles, shoals and reefs too. This offshore structure will hold fish from mid-summer through fall.
Fish the Rocks
You have a lot of rocks to fish on the lake. Once summer patterns set in, a lot of muskie will move onto the rocks. Whether you want to target them on the points, along the shorelines of the islands or on offshore structure, you should definitely target some of the rocky areas while fishing for muskie here.
Fish the Weeds
There are a lot of weeds in the lake and you can find a lot of fish around the weeds. Muskie will move into these areas too as they feed on just about anything they want. Target the deeper weed lines in the summer and fall and you’ll find some muskie.
Using Leaders for Muskie
Muskie have some serious teeth. Use quality steel leaders to avoid bite-offs. If you are fishing clear water, you may need to go with a fluorocarbon leader to get bit. Most anglers will not go any lighter than 100 lb. fluorocarbon for muskie and don’t be shocked if you lose a big fish due to a bite-off. Some anglers go as heavy as 140 to 150 pound fluorocarbon. Ideally, you want to be as stealthy as you can so you can get more bites, but if you go too light with the fluorocarbon, you risk losing fish and possibly killing some big fish due to the lures getting stuck in their mouths.
Best Baits for Muskie
There are many types of baits to target muskie. Anglers don’t have as many options when using live baits since many of the fish that muskie eat can not be used as bait. Suckers and big chubs are usually the best options for most anglers that want to use live bait. For artificial lures, there are a variety of big baits to throw. Most anglers fish with bucktail spinners, some type of swimbait, topwater lure or jerkbait when chasing muskie.
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Best Rigs for Muskie
There aren’t too many different rigs for muskie fishing because you only have so many options for throwing some of the gigantic baits needed. Also, most anglers use lures for muskie or big sucker minnows, so you really don’t need too many rigs to target muskie. However, there are still several rigs you should know about, especially if you are going to be using live bait.
The Carolina rig, drop shot rig and quick strike rig are some of the best rigs for muskie.
Best Techniques for Muskie
Anglers use a variety of techniques for muskie. Casting is most popular, but jigging and trolling are also very effective techniques. Learn more about some of the best techniques for muskie page.
Learn More About Muskie
Our muskie fishing section has tons of tips on the best lures, live baits, where to catch them and how to catch them.
Visit our muskie fishing website to learn more.
