Connelly Lake Fishing in Greater Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Connelly Lake belongs to Greater Sudbury, Ontario. The bank gives way to lake country bush. Roughly 31 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 3.3 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Capreol is the closest town at 19 km. It is 43 km to Greater Sudbury, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Connelly Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Greater Sudbury, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike, pumpkinseed and rock bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Connelly Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 18°C in July and bottoms out near -15°C in January. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. The season on Connelly Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Bernard Lake is 1.6 km distant. For Connelly Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.