Hayes Lake Fishing in Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Within Sudbury, Ontario, you have Hayes Lake. This is northern bush country. The water covers some 28 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Around 3.4 km of margin, front to back. It is high ground by Ontario standards. Nearest place of any size is Chapleau, 45 km away. Beyond it, Wawa at 65 km and Sault Ste. Marie at 139 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Hayes Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Sudbury records list smallmouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read Hayes Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 16°C and January about -15°C. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. That shapes the year on Hayes Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. 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. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Flint Lake, 1.5 km away. The position on Hayes Lake is worth confirming on the day.