Gog Lake in Sudbury: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Sudbury, Ontario, sits Gog Lake. Around the bank it is taiga. At about 53 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. With about 4.1 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Compared with other Ontario water on our list, it sits high. Supplies mean a trip to Chapleau, 36 km off. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 205 km distant. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Gog Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Sudbury: smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Gog Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -15°C to 17°C. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The open-water window runs from around late April to about mid November in an average year. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Gog Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Magog Lake at 1.7 km is the nearest alternative. Treat Gog Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.