Clam Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Within Sudbury, Ontario, you have Clam Lake. Elevation runs to 385 metres. The water covers some 82 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline length is close to 11 km, and each section fishes a little differently. The town to know is Timmins, 112 km out. Chapleau lies 113 km off, Dowling another 116 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Clam Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Sudbury records list smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter among the fish reported. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Work Clam Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -16°C in January and 17°C in July. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That is the shape of the year on Clam Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. 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. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Little Clam Lake at 1.1 km is the nearest alternative. For Clam Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.