Fishing at Rat Lake, Greater Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Greater Sudbury, Rat Lake is an Ontario water. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. Around 12 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. A shoreline of some 2.2 km keeps the choices simple. Most waters listed here for Greater Sudbury are larger. Capreol sits 34 km from here and is the nearest stop. Valley East lies 43 km off, Azilda another 56 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Rat Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Greater Sudbury list smallmouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike, pumpkinseed and rock bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Take Rat Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 18°C and January at -15°C. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It sets the rhythm of the year at Rat Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Davis Lake, 1.2 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Rat Lake as something to verify.