Chubby Chiblow Bass: World-Class Smallmouth Fishing

Personally, I love my smallmouth bass to be chubby. Very chubby, the bigger the better—and when you can find lakes and locations that have an abundance of big, chubby smallmouth bass, you very well could be fishing in Ontario’s Algoma Country, now world famous for the world-class bass that inhabit most of the lakes and rivers that are found in the region.

We were fortunate to be able to fish one of these world-class bass fishing lakes this past summer near Iron Bridge, Ontario, called Chiblow Lake.

Exploring Chiblow Lake: A Remote, Untouched Bass Factory

Chiblow Lake is located 232 metres above sea level and is connected to Little Chiblow Lake to the west by a wide strait, and they are considered hydraulically as one lake. The lake has an area of ​​20.87 square kilometres (8.2 sq. mi), an average depth of 23.9 metres (75 ft) and a maximum depth of 70 metres (233 ft). The Blind River flows through the lake, with an inlet in the east and an outlet in the south.

The area around Chiblow Lake is mainly mixed forest and almost unpopulated, with less than two inhabitants per square kilometre.

Where To Stay: Chiblow Lake Lodge

We stayed at Chiblow Lake Lodge, which is located twenty minutes north of Iron Bridge on Chiblow Lake Road. It’s one hour and thirty minutes east of Sault Ste. Marie is two hours and thirty minutes from Sudbury, Ontario.

The lake is a natural smallmouth factory in terms of perfect spawning habitat, deep water access, many sheltered bays with sand and gravel and bait fish and crawfish forage base that grows the bass really big.

Chiblow Lake Lodge is famous for great fishing and hunting. Proudly owned and operated by the Mississauga First Nation. The friendly staff will ensure you have everything you need for a great, unforgettable vacation and some of the finest trophy smallmouth bass fishing you will ever experience. 

Chiblow Lake is closed for fishing from October 1 to the third Saturday in April of the following year. Located in Fisheries Management Zone 10 under the MNR, although they have an earlier open season than other locations, it is important to mention that catch and release of larger bass should be considered to maintain this trophy fishery.

The lodge has nine cabins facing the lake, all cabins have fully equipped kitchens with appliances, 3-piece baths, electricity and hot/cold running water. One cabin is Accessible; please call for more information. Cabins are within walking distance of the beach area. Chiblow Lake Lodge is a friendly location to enjoy several outdoor activities, from fishing to canoeing. The lodge is equipped to create a memorable experience.

Techniques and Tactics for Chiblow Lake Bass

We fished the lake in late June with fish in multiple stages of the spawning season, with some fish still on beds, but the majority of fish in post-spawn mode and back on the feed bag after spawn. With so many locations to fish on this lake, it was easy to find the bigger bass near the back bays and prior spawning locations in slightly deeper water adjacent to the shallower water they inhabited weeks prior.

Fishing a variety of topwater baits to locate the more aggressive bass, then slowed down with small plastic imitations such as Ned Rig crawfish and bug imitations, once bigger bass were located, offered us hours of fish catching enjoyment with hardly another boat in sight. We caught countless bass in the two to three-pound class, with a handful of chubby brown bass in the upper four to high five-pound class and released every fish we caught, along with some nice northern pike in the mid-thirty-inch class roaming the same deeper edges the bigger bass we’re caught.

We enjoyed our trip to Chiblow Lake Lodge and the excellent smallmouth bass fishing that is available, and I am sure you will as well by planning your vacation by contacting the lodge here:

Chiblow Lake Lodge, Iron Bridge, Ontario, Canada (705) 843-0402 or visit them online here- https://www.chiblowlakelodge.ca/ 

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