Fishing at Olympic Lake, Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Sudbury, Olympic Lake is an Ontario water. Everything around it is northern bush. It runs to roughly 55 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. There is roughly 8.6 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Compared with other Ontario water on our list, it sits high. Supplies mean a trip to Chapleau, 17 km off. Greater Sudbury sits 225 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Olympic Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Sudbury cover smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Olympic Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 17°C and January near -15°C on the long-run figures. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. On Olympic Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Pack Sack Lake at 0.9 km is the nearest alternative. For Olympic Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.