Ribble Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Ribble Lake falls in Sudbury, part of Ontario. The land about it is pine and birch. This is a pocket water of some 6 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is a small entry by Sudbury standards. Start from Timmins, 97 km down the road. The nearest city of size is Greater Sudbury, 125 km away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Ribble Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Sudbury, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Fish Ribble Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 17°C and January about -16°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. At Ribble Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. 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. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Violet Lake at 1 km is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Ribble Lake in what we hold.