Fishing at Badger Lake, Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Sudbury, Ontario, is where Badger Lake sits. It stands 179 metres above sea level. Surface area is around 46 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. At about 7.6 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. It lies lower than most water we list in Ontario. The nearest place of any size is Markstay-Warren, 52 km away. Greater Sudbury follows at 54 km, then Lively at 54 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Badger Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Fish documented in Sudbury include smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Badger Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 19°C for July and -11°C for January. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. On average, late April opens the water and early December closes it again. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Badger Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is a marina, Hartley Bay Marina, 1.4 km away. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Ted Lake is 1.7 km distant. Signs at Badger Lake carry more weight than any list.