Fishing at Cave Lake, Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Cave Lake belongs to Sudbury, Ontario. Everything around it is rolling bush. The water covers some 12 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. With about 1.9 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Our Sudbury list holds plenty of bigger water. The closest town, Espanola, is 33 km away. Greater Sudbury sits 61 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Cave Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Open biodiversity records for Sudbury list smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The near bank of Cave Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -10°C and July at about 19°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Climate figures give an open season running late April to early December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It sets the rhythm of the year at Cave Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A platform or pier sits within 1.2 km. There is camping recorded roughly 100 m off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Artist Lake is 0.9 km off. Treat access at Cave Lake as something to verify.