Tribe Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Tribe Lake in Sudbury, Ontario. It sits at 448 metres above sea level. The water covers some 45 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The whole outline is near 3.9 km, and most of it is walkable. It sits higher than most water we list in Ontario. Chapleau lies 26 km from the water. Greater Sudbury sits 252 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Tribe Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Survey and observation records for Sudbury include smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Tribe Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -16°C and July at about 16°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. From about late April to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on Tribe Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Grazing Lake, 2.4 km away. The position on Tribe Lake is worth confirming on the day.