Fishing at Ridout Lake, Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Ridout Lake is one of the Sudbury waters in Ontario. Height above sea level is 396 metres. At 2.03 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. Few waters listed in Sudbury are bigger. Supplies mean a trip to Chapleau, 49 km off. The nearest city of size is Greater Sudbury, 192 km away. In the same area: Little Ridout Lake 1 km off, Gertrude Lake at 2.7 km, Engineer Lake 3.1 km off, Hotstone Lake at 3.3 km and Peter Lake 4.2 km off. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Ridout Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Sudbury list smallmouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Fish Ridout Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -16°C in January to roughly 17°C in July. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. On average, late April opens the water and mid November closes it again. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Ridout Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. 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. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Little Ridout Lake is 1 km off. Check the position at Ridout Lake before loading the car.