Patten Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Sudbury, Patten Lake is an Ontario water. It lies 196 metres above sea level. It measures about 12 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. There is roughly 1.8 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. On size it sits at the modest end of our Sudbury list. 35 km away sits Espanola, the nearest town. Greater Sudbury sits 51 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Patten Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Sudbury records list smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Patten Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 19°C on average, January about -11°C. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Ice clears near late April and comes back about early December in a typical year. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. The season on Patten Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Quartzite Lake, 2 km away. For Patten Lake in particular, ask before you travel.