Turn Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Ontario holds Turn Lake, in Sudbury. It sits in taiga. Roughly 82 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. With 6.1 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Timmins at 80 km is the nearest place to stop. Chapleau is 98 km and Iroquois Falls 138 km. Also within reach: Hardiman Lake 3.6 km off, 4 km away is Forearm Lake, McOwen Lake 5.7 km off, 6.1 km away is Larrabee Lake and Freeman Lake 6.3 km off. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Turn Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. 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. Species logged across Sudbury include smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Turn Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 17°C and January about -17°C. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Time your trip to Turn Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Hardiman Lake at 3.6 km is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Turn Lake.