Fishing at Irwin Lake, Greater Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Ontario holds Irwin Lake, in Greater Sudbury. It lies 349 metres above sea level. At 8 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Greater Sudbury. The town to know is Rayside-Balfour, 8.5 km out. The nearest city of size is Greater Sudbury, 29 km away. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Irwin Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name smallmouth bass, yellow perch and northern pike. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Irwin Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 18°C on average, January about -14°C. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It sets the rhythm of the year at Irwin Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Carriere Lake at 1.9 km is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Irwin Lake for certain.