Smallmouth bass are under fished here by most anglers, but some people do come here to specifically target them. Lake Temagami has plenty of smallmouth bass if you want to pursue them. Just fish the rocky shorelines, points, islands and main lake structure and you will find smallmouth bass. There are plenty of bigger fish here too. With the irregular shape of Lake Temagami, you can fish all over this lake even on windy days.
The Marten River system is a good body of water for smallmouth bass too. Like on Temagami Lake, they are under fished here by most anglers as they pursue walleye or northern pike instead. If you want to catch smallies, there are plenty of bass here and some big fish too. Some of the other area lakes have some smallmouth bass too, but you won’t need to venture out to these lakes to catch smallmouth bass. There are plenty available in the main lakes up here. However, if you’re up for some exploring, there are some awesome smaller lakes here that have good fishing for smallmouth bass. You will need a smaller boat to get onto these smaller lakes.
Lake Temagami
Lake Temagami is the main draw here. It is a big lake with lots of fishing opportunities for a variety of fish. Anglers target northern pike, walleye, smallmouth bass, lake trout and perch. The fishing is very good on the lake for action and some trophy fish too. Most anglers come here for the walleye and northern pike fishing. Some anglers realize how good the smallmouth bass fishing is here too and they target them, but they are usually under fished compared to the walleye. Lake trout anglers do well in shallower water in the spring and in fall, but will be fishing deep for them in the summer. Lake Temagami is a big lake with so many places to fish on it with all its islands, bays and points. Because of how this lake is shaped, you can usually find some place to fish even on windy days, which is not typical of bigger lakes.
Marten River System
Just south of Lake Temagami, the Marten River system is known as an excellent body of water to fish as well. Anglers target a variety of fish here such as walleye, northern pike, lake trout, smallmouth bass and perch. This area has a lot of water to fish, but you can catch plenty of fish on this river system. Some of the lakes that are known for good fishing are Little Marten Lake, Big Marten Lake, Bruce Lake and Mcfee Lake. If you bring a smaller boat that you can drop in, there are plenty of smaller lakes in the area if you want to do some exploring while here.
Red Cedar Lake
Red Cedar Lake is a good-sized lake in Marten River area. Marten River flows into Red Cedar Lake and the Temagami River flows through the lake as well. Anglers catch good numbers of walleye, northern pike and smallmouth bass. Lake trout are here in smaller numbers.
5 Connected Lakes
Snake Island, Cassels, Gosselin, Obashkong & Rabbit Lakes
There are 5 connected lakes that start right in the middle of Temagami. Snake Island leads to Cassels Lake, which then leads to Gosselin Lake and Obashkong Lake. South of Cassels Lake is Rabbit Lake.
Snake Island Lake, Cassels Lake and Rabbit Lake all offer good fishing for a variety of fish. Anglers target smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, lake trout and whitefish in these lakes. Gosselin is much smaller, so it’s mostly a northern pike lake, but some bass are there too depending on the time of year. Obashkong Lake is a decent-sized lake that offers walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and whitefish. There are also portages off this chain of lakes to Sunrise Lake or Blueberry Lake. Sunrise Lake is known for its lake trout. From Blueberry Lake, some anglers will then head to Dalton Lake or Telford Lake. These two lakes are known for their excellent smallmouth bass fishing.
Angus Lake
Angus is a fairly narrow lake right off the highway in between Temagami and Marten River. It’s an easy lake to fish and it holds good numbers of walleye, smallmouth bass and northern pike.
Herridge Lake
Herridge Lake is located just south of downtown Temagami. There is a lodge on this lake and anglers target northern pike, smallmouth bass and walleye. Many people who visit Herridge Lake will use this as a base camp and they will fish one of the many outpost lakes here.
Jumping Cariboo Lake
Jumping Cariboo Lake is right next to Angus Lake. It is a large lake with plenty of bays and islands to get out of the rougher water on windier days. This lake has so many productive fishing spots and you can target a variety of fish. Anglers catch walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, lake trout and whitefish.
Net Lake
Net Lake is just north of Temagami. It is a good lake for a variety of fish. Anglers target good numbers of walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and lake trout here.
Rib Lake / Cliff Lake Conservation Reserve
Rib Lake is a smaller lake with one fishing resort on it. The lake offers good fishing with water as deep as 140 feet. Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, lake trout and whitefish. Rib Lake is also located just to the west of the Cliff Lake Conservation Reserve.
Anglers that stay on Rib Lake can take a short boat ride on Rib Lake followed by a hike through the bush to get to Cliff Lake. This Conservation Reserve was created so people can enjoy this area for years to come. There are 2 campsites on Cliff Lake, one on Roosevelt Lake, one on Slim Lake, one on Fat Lake, 2 on Rib Lake and one on Friday Lake. None of these campsites are maintained and they do not have latrines.
Cliff Lake is part of several canoe routes. Portage trails are available for the canoeists and they run from Rib Lake to Cliff Lake to Fat Lake and beyond.
Wilson Lake
There is a resort on Wilson Lake and anglers target northern pike, walleye and smallmouth bass here. Many people who visit Wilson Lake will use this as a base camp and they will fish one of the many outpost lakes here.
Smaller Lakes & Streams in the Area
This area has so much water here to fish. Some of the smaller lakes will have nicer boat launches, but many of the lakes will require you to drop a smaller boat in to be able to access the lake. There is a lot of good fishing for a variety of species such as northern pike, walleye, smallmouth bass and even lake trout on some of the deeper lakes. Brook trout are also common here on some of the area lakes and streams.
Best Baits for Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth bass will eat a variety of different baits. Minnows, nightcrawlers and leeches are definitely the best live baits for smallmouth bass.
When it comes to artificial lures, you have lots of options. Soft plastic crayfish, twin tail grubs, worms and minnow baits are very effective. Hard baits such as crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinners also work great.
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Live Baits for Smallmouth Bass
Best Rigs for Smallmouth Bass
With so many different soft plastics to use, you have so many different rigs that work great for smallmouth bass. The drop shot rig, a simple jighead, standup jigheads and scrounger jigheads are some of the best rigs for smallmouth bass. To see our full list, take a look at our best rigs for smallmouth bass page.
Best Techniques for Smallmouth Bass
There are so many different techniques you can use for smallmouth bass since they can be found shallow, deep and anywhere in between. Anglers usually cast for them, but jigging, drop shotting and drifting are also some great techniques for smallmouth bass.
To learn more, take a look at our best techniques for smallmouth bass page.
Learn More About Smallmouth Bass
Our smallmouth bass fishing section has tons of tips on the best lures, live baits, where to catch them and how to catch them.
Visit our smallmouth bass fishing website to learn more.
