Barnet Lake in Sudbury: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Barnet Lake lies within the bounds of Sudbury, Ontario. The surface lies 410 metres up. This is sizeable water at about 3.80 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. The outline measures near 24 km, so local knowledge counts. It is among the larger waters listed here for Sudbury. Capreol sits 56 km from the bank. Valley East lies 61 km off, Rayside-Balfour another 64 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Barnet Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Sudbury, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. At Barnet Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -16°C to 17°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Barnet Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Seagull Lake, 3.5 km out. Treat access at Barnet Lake as something to verify.