Groves Lake in Sudbury: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Groves Lake is a Sudbury water, Ontario side. The bank is 352 metres above sea level. At some 1.52 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. There is roughly 9.6 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. It is among the larger waters listed here for Sudbury. The nearest town is Timmins, 95 km away. Greater Sudbury sits 135 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Groves Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Sudbury: smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The near bank of Groves Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 17°C, with January the cold end at about -16°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It sets the rhythm of the year at Groves Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Geoffrion Lake, 1.7 km away. Confirm before you fish Groves Lake.