Fishing Gouin Lake in Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Look for Gouin Lake in the Sudbury part of Ontario. Land around it is northern bush. At about 86 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The full circuit measures close to 4.2 km on foot. Supplies mean a trip to Timmins, 62 km off. Kirkland Lake follows at 112 km, then Iroquois Falls at 112 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Gouin Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Sudbury records list smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter among the fish reported. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Take Gouin Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 17°C; by January the average is down near -17°C. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It sets the rhythm of the year at Gouin Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Nursey Lake is 8.2 km distant. Confirm before you fish Gouin Lake.