Proudfoot Lake Fishing Guide, Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  The Sudbury end of Ontario holds Proudfoot Lake. The setting is mixed forest on every side. The water covers some 77 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. At about 14 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. For supplies, Capreol is 32 km out. Greater Sudbury sits 54 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Proudfoot Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Sudbury include smallmouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The shape of Proudfoot Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 17°C on average, January about -15°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on Proudfoot Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access 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. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Roberts Lake sits 1.4 km off and takes the overflow. For Proudfoot Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.