Fishing Gertrude Lake in Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  The Sudbury entry here is Gertrude Lake, in Ontario. This is taiga ground. Roughly 80 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. There is roughly 9.1 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. You are 47 km from Chapleau. For a city, Greater Sudbury is 195 km off. Within a short drive: Barty Lake at about 2.3 km, Ridout Lake about 2.7 km, Lee Lake at about 2.8 km, Hotstone Lake about 3.2 km and Engineer Lake at about 3.5 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Gertrude Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Sudbury, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Gertrude Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -16°C in January to roughly 17°C in July. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Expect Gertrude Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Barty Lake, 2.3 km away. Where Gertrude Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.