Fishing Windermere Lake in Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Windermere Lake is one of the Sudbury waters in Ontario. Elevation runs to 424 metres. Around 42.81 sq km of open water: conditions change from one end to the other. It ranks high for size among our Sudbury listings. Chapleau lies 30 km from the water. Then Wawa, 75 km, and Hornepayne, 159 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Windermere Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Sudbury list smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Windermere Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 17°C in July and bottoms out near -16°C in January. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. On average, early May opens the water and mid November closes it again. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That shapes the year on Windermere Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Sauriol Lake is 3.8 km off. For Windermere Lake in particular, ask before you travel.