Fishing at Harvie Lake, Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Sudbury, Harvie Lake is an Ontario water. What surrounds it is pine and birch. It measures about 34 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Bank access stretches around 3.6 km in total. For supplies, Chapleau is 52 km out. Further out sit Wawa (77 km) and Sault Ste. Marie (119 km). This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Harvie Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish documented in Sudbury include smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Harvie Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -15°C in January and 17°C in July. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It holds true on Harvie Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. 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. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Trouser Lake is 1 km distant. Ask locally about Harvie Lake if anything is unclear.