Smith Lake Fishing near Thessalon, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Smith Lake belongs to Algoma. What surrounds it is rolling bush. At about 16 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge runs 2.2 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Thessalon sits 42 km from here and is the nearest stop. It is 213 km to Greater Sudbury, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Smith Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Algoma, recorded fish include walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter, yellow perch and white sucker. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Smith Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -12°C to 17°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Smith Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Roddy Lake, 2.6 km out. Treat Smith Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.