Fish Hawk Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Sudbury in Ontario is where Fish Hawk Lake sits. Elevation runs to 416 metres. The water measures roughly 10 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. A shoreline of some 1.3 km keeps the choices simple. On size it sits at the modest end of our Sudbury list. Nearest town is Dowling, 74 km off. Further out sit Rayside-Balfour (80 km) and Elliot Lake (81 km). There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Fish Hawk Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Sudbury: smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Fish Hawk Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 17°C in July and bottoms out near -15°C in January. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Fish Hawk Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Jasper Lake, 1.2 km out. What applies at Fish Hawk Lake may have changed since it was mapped.