Cat Bay in Sudbury: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Cat Bay in Sudbury, Ontario. The setting is lake country bush. At 75.44 sq km you are fishing a fraction of it whatever you do. The bank is deeply indented, so shelter is easy to find in any wind. Few waters listed in Sudbury are bigger. Elliot Lake at 103 km is the nearest place to stop. After that come Chapleau at 103 km and Dowling at 106 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Cat Bay

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The channel is where water moves, and fish follow it. The mouth fishes hardest when the run is at its strongest. Fish documented in Sudbury include smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Cat Bay the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -15°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Anyone fishing Cat Bay regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. 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. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Elbow Lake, 5.1 km away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Cat Bay is worth confirming on the day.