Lawson Lake in Sudbury: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lawson Lake falls in Sudbury, part of Ontario. The setting is taiga. It measures about 23 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. With about 3.5 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. It sits higher than most water we list in Ontario. Chapleau sits 25 km from the bank. Then Wawa, 80 km, and Sault Ste. Marie, 152 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lawson Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Sudbury list smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Lawson Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 16°C in July and bottoms out near -16°C in January. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lawson Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Knob Lake is 1.3 km distant. None of that is settled for Lawson Lake in what we hold.