Madden Lake in Timiskaming District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Madden Lake sits in Timiskaming District, out in Ontario. It sits in pine and birch country. The water covers some 12 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 2.2 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Ontario listings. The closest town, Temiskaming Shores, is 71 km away. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 108 km distant. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Madden Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Public occurrence data for Timiskaming District names brook trout, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. At Madden Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -16°C in January and 17°C in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Madden Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Lamy Lake at 1.2 km is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Madden Lake.