Goodwin Lake Fishing Guide, Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Goodwin Lake belongs to Sudbury, Ontario. The water sits 452 metres up. It runs to roughly 17 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The whole outline is near 2.8 km, and most of it is walkable. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Ontario listings. The town to know is Chapleau, 40 km out. Beyond it, Wawa at 64 km and Sault Ste. Marie at 154 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Goodwin Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Sudbury list smallmouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch. The county list is broader than any single water. On Goodwin Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -16°C at the bottom of winter. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It sets the rhythm of the year at Goodwin Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. 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. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Cosens Lake at 3.6 km is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Goodwin Lake before loading the car.