| Rock Lake is a few miles west of Pilot Mound, | | | | can be rewarding. Of course, every day is |
| Manitoba. It was made by damming off the | | | | different. You can go out one day and catch your |
| Pembina River. | | | | limit, and the next day the only thing you'll get is |
| Coincidentally, you can also fish at the dam. The | | | | frustrated. For those of us who enjoy fishing, this |
| dam isn't large, but it's a beautiful little spot. Most | | | | is par for the course. Fishing is as much about |
| of the fish caught there are bullheads, but they | | | | relaxing and being out in the great outdoors as it |
| can provide some fun. Rock Lake itself has two | | | | is about catching fish. The downside to Rock Lake |
| public launches. One can be found at the east end | | | | is that it is not a deep lake. What this means is |
| of the lake and the other at the west end of the | | | | that by the end of June until into September |
| lake. The launch at the east end is fairly shallow. | | | | October, there is a lot of algae in the water. This |
| There is no dock - you back your boat into the | | | | stuff gets caught in the outboard, and attaches |
| water. The area around this launch is also pretty | | | | itself to your hook. With patience, there are spots |
| good for fishing from shore. Most of what is | | | | that have a minimum of algae and the fishing can |
| caught from the shore is pike, and the lake | | | | still be quite good even when the water reaches a |
| boasts some fairly large and feisty ones. Because | | | | temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit. There are |
| the lake is surrounded by large rocks, it is possible | | | | also a lot of dead trees in the water, so hooking |
| to walk along the shore to find a good fishing | | | | onto a branch is not uncommon. We have broken |
| spot. The other launch is at the west end of the | | | | very few lines even when caught on a tree or |
| lake. The west end has a summer community of | | | | branch. It is usually possible to free the line |
| cabins, but it is fairly small. The launch itself gets | | | | without breaking it. There is, at this time, not that |
| deeper faster than the one at the east end, but | | | | much development on the lake as far as cabins |
| the backing in is pretty steep as well. Pretty much | | | | goes, but this is changing. |
| straight across from the launch on the west end | | | | When we fish at Rock Lake, we will usually take |
| is a camp. There is a real boat launch there, but | | | | some salted minnows with us, mostly out of habit. |
| you have to endure many miles of gravel road to | | | | What works best at this lake, at least for us, are |
| get there, and for those of us who try to keep | | | | plastics. Yellow and black, greens, or an orange |
| the paint on our boats, this is not the best place | | | | yellow/green combination seem to produce the |
| to go with a boat you value. | | | | greatest success. We have never caught any |
| Fishing from a boat provides you with the best | | | | huge pike or walleye at this lake, but a walleye in |
| chance of catching walleye on Rock Lake. Trolling | | | | the 18 to 21 inch range is a good eating fish, and |
| near the shoreline, particularly on the south side | | | | the lake abounds in this size. |