Lotus Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lotus Lake is one of the Sudbury waters in Ontario. Elevation runs to 401 metres. At about 22 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge runs 1.9 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. The closest town, Capreol, is 70 km away. For a city, Greater Sudbury is 91 km off. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lotus Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Sudbury include smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Work Lotus Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 17°C and January reads -16°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. On Lotus Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Miles Lake at 2.3 km is the sensible second choice. For Lotus Lake in particular, ask before you travel.