Botha Lake Fishing in Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Sudbury, Botha Lake is an Ontario water. Height above sea level is 429 metres. At about 41 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Bank access stretches around 3.9 km in total. Rayside-Balfour is the closest town at 39 km. Further out sit Capreol (39 km) and Dowling (41 km). The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Botha Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name smallmouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Take Botha Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -15°C to 17°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. 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. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on Botha Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Venetian Lake is 3.2 km off. For Botha Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.