Fishing Elma Lake in Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Look for Elma Lake in Sudbury, Ontario. It stands 473 metres above sea level. It covers about 7 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Sudbury are larger. Nearest place of any size is Chapleau, 46 km away. Wawa is 104 km and Sault Ste. Marie 118 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Elma Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Sudbury: smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Elma Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -15°C in January up to 16°C in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It holds true on Elma Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Bullbat Lake sits 2.3 km off and takes the overflow. Nothing on Elma Lake should be assumed from this page alone.