Ink Lake in Sudbury: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Ink Lake is a Sudbury water, Ontario side. Elevation runs to 444 metres. Small at around 9 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Sudbury list. 76 km away sits Chapleau, the nearest town. Elliot Lake is 97 km away, with Blind River at 115 km. Others close at hand: Slater Lake 5.2 km off, Oboe Lake within 5.8 km, Blush Lake 6.6 km off, Glade Lake within 6.6 km and Rover Lake 6.8 km off. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Ink Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Sudbury include smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Ink Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 17°C, the coldest about -14°C. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Ink Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Slater Lake at 5.2 km is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Ink Lake in what we hold.