Foot Lake near Chapleau: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  In Ontario, Foot Lake falls inside Sudbury. The surroundings are taiga. The water covers some 76 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Around 9.3 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. Chapleau lies 15 km from the water. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 224 km distant. Other water nearby: Wuskwi Lake after 2.3 km, Nick Lake 2.9 km away, Slipper Lake after 2.9 km, Serviss Lake 3.2 km away and McNaught Lake after 3.2 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Foot Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Sudbury list smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Read Foot Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -16°C in January. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Foot Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Wuskwi Lake is 2.3 km distant. Confirm before you fish Foot Lake.