Fishing at West Abinette Lake, Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  You will find West Abinette Lake in Sudbury, Ontario. Height above sea level is 489 metres. It measures some 1.28 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The shoreline runs about 12 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Size puts it in the front rank of our Sudbury list. The closest town, Chapleau, is 76 km distant. Elliot Lake is 107 km away, with Blind River at 131 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on West Abinette Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Sudbury include smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. The county list is broader than any single water. At West Abinette Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 17°C and January at -15°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. West Abinette Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Nineay Lake is 2.9 km distant. Check the position on West Abinette Lake before loading the car.