Fishing Darby Lake in Timiskaming District, Ontario

• Overview

  Darby Lake is one of the Timiskaming District listings for Ontario. The bank is 328 metres above sea level. It covers about 7 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Timiskaming District list. The town to know is Temiskaming Shores, 43 km out. Greater Sudbury is the closest city, 119 km away. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Darby Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Timiskaming District records list brook trout, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. On Darby Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 18°C at the top of summer and -16°C at the bottom of winter. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about mid November in an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Darby Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Morin Lake at 0.4 km is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Darby Lake.