Ross Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Within Greater Sudbury, Ontario, you have Ross Lake. Country round the bank runs to pine and birch. At about 17 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Head to Capreol, 12 km away, for anything you forgot. Valley East is 19 km away, with Rayside-Balfour at 30 km. Other water nearby: Cache Lake 1.1 km away, Fraser Lake at about 2.2 km, Hutton Lake 3 km away, Grassy Lake at about 3.8 km and Stake Lake 4.4 km away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Ross Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Greater Sudbury include smallmouth bass, yellow perch and northern pike. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Read Ross Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 18°C and January at -14°C. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Time your trip to Ross Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. You can camp 570 m off, which suits an early start. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Cache Lake at 1.1 km is the nearest alternative. Confirm before you fish Ross Lake.