Fishing at Bayly Lake, Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Bayly Lake is a Sudbury water, Ontario side. The water sits 386 metres up. The water covers around 1.03 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The edge covers about 12 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. Few waters listed in Sudbury are bigger. Chapleau sits 61 km from the bank. Beyond it, Timmins at 121 km and Elliot Lake at 155 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Bayly 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. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Reported across Sudbury: smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Fish Bayly Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 17°C at the top of summer and -16°C at the bottom of winter. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The lid tends to go about late April and return around mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Bayly Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Pepperbell Lake sits 1.7 km off and takes the overflow. Where Bayly Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.