Fishing at Drefal Lake, Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Sudbury, Drefal Lake is an Ontario water. Around the bank it is lake country bush. The water covers some 29 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The closest town, Dowling, is 89 km distant. Beyond it, Rayside-Balfour at 94 km and Valley East at 103 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Drefal Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. 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. Fish documented in Sudbury include smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. The county list is broader than any single water. Read Drefal Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -15°C to 17°C. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. The season on Drefal Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Houghton Lake is 1.7 km distant. Signs at Drefal Lake carry more weight than any list.