A navigable channel called the narrows connects Rough Rock Lake to Sand Lake, Little Sand Lake, Pistol Lake, and Gunn Lake. Keep in mind that once you leave Rough Rock Lake through the narrows there is no place to get fuel or directions and you will be on a massive lake complex where you are unlikely to see any other fishermen. Before you venture out of Rough Rock Lake tell someone where you will be going, when you should be back, and make sure that you have adequate fuel for the round trip. Typical of the Canadian shield lakes, and as its name implies, the most distinctive characteristic of Rough Rock Lake is its tremendous rock formations. Sheer rock walls above and below the water are typical.
Gigantic boulders bulge out of the lake and form large uninhabited islands.
Some of these islands are big enough to contain their own bays, lakes, and streams. Underwater rock piles and bays jut off the main lake body and are vast enough to easily consume an entire day of fishing. Weed beds are common in bays with a mud bottom and are also a good way to identify where the hard bottom changes to soft bottom. Piles of small rocks, boulders, and gravel bars are common to both types of bays as well as the main lake body. Getting There Rough Rock Lake is located on the Winnipeg River, south of the Whitedog Dam, approximately 45 miles north of Kenora in Northwest Ontario Canada.