Fishing at Spud Lake, Algoma, Ontario

• Overview

  Spud Lake is an Algoma water, Ontario side. Around the bank it is rolling bush. The water covers some 47 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. With about 4.5 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. It is high ground by Ontario standards. Nearest town is Chapleau, 82 km off. After that come Thessalon at 96 km and Sault Ste. Marie at 96 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Spud Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Algoma include walleye, northern pike, Iowa darter, yellow perch and white sucker. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Spud Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -14°C in January up to 17°C in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Spud Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Tarzan Lake at 1.9 km is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Spud Lake for certain.