If you want a world-class destination for bass, walleye, pike and crappie, Rainy Lake is it. With 2200 islands, three distinct areas and 300 square kilometers of water, Rainy Lake tops them all in the western end of Ontario. Tom Batiuk, of HSM Outdoors, says he has been fishing Rainy Lake since 2006. “I’ve been fishing this lake for years and I still haven’t fished it all,” he muses. Rainy Lake is a top bass lake. In fact, for all species of fish, Rainy Lake produces huge fish and huge numbers, which isn’t common. In the north, the clearer water is interestingly enough, a better walleye spot that the darker coloured water of the South Arm. Batiuk says that if you want trophy walleye, go north. If you’re looking for larger numbers of good eating fish, Batiuk would take you to Red Gut Bay. Some of the best fishing is in the spring. There’s a two-week period or so where the walleye sanctuaries are open and the fish are still there. Batiuk says that they stay where the food is. If the water is staying cooler, and the bait fish are still there, the walleye will hang out. Some of the best fishing in Rainy Lake is for bass. “There is an absolutely amazing top water bite for bass,” Batiuk emphasizes. “You can catch 4 lb bass all day long.” Try popper baits, he says. “Cast, let the weight go, snap it so you get a pop, and pause. Snap and pause. Bass just love that.” Batiuk’s favourite fish, though, is crappie. “For table fare, they’re way better than walleye, even,” he says. “They can be tricky to find, but once you do, they’re easy to catch.” Crappie spawn in water around 63 degrees F, and can be caught with a light jig and slip bobber, or a hair jig with a slip bobber about 18 to 24 inches up. Cast into the shallows. It’s as easy as that, says Batiuk. There is a great deal of underwater structure in Rainy Lake. Batiuk says that fish really love transitions. Walleye, for example, prefer broken rocks with structure to smooth areas. They follow the shiners into the main lake basin. Crappies like weed, to sand, to mud transitions, whereas pike like mud and clay. Bass, he says, like weed, rock and sand transitions. Know what’s under the water, and you’ll have a better chance of catching the fish. There are so many ways to catch fish in Rainy Lake, Batiuk says. “If you want a trophy pattern, try jerkbaits in July. Or, try spinner baits into pencil weeds for walleye. People don’t generally think of that option.” Fall fishing, he notes, is very similar to summer fishing. Crappie, for example, just need the three Cs: current, cover and chow. The fish will find a piece of structure in the mud, like a submerged log, and will hang about for the bug life. “There’s so much more,” he says, “and there are good guides and outfitters all around the lake who will help you get to it.” Lake Access Rainy Lake is located at Fort Frances. The Trans Canada Hwy crosses the lake. There are several guides and outfitters in and around Fort Frances and Rainy Lake.