Kelly Lake Fishing near Lively, Ontario

• Overview

  This water sits in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. Country round the bank runs to rolling bush. About 3.38 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. Some 14 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. It ranks high for size among our Greater Sudbury listings. 6.5 km away sits Lively, the nearest town. After that come Greater Sudbury at 7.6 km and Azilda at 12 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Kelly Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Greater Sudbury records list smallmouth bass, yellow perch and northern pike among the fish reported. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Kelly Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -13°C in January to roughly 20°C in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Kelly Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Recorded parking is 980 m off, far enough to travel light. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Hannah Lake sits 2.2 km off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Kelly Lake in what we hold.