Fishing at Key Lake, Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Out in Sudbury, Ontario, sits Key Lake. Height above sea level is 403 metres. At about 14 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge runs 2.8 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Sudbury. The nearest town is Chapleau, 32 km away. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 265 km distant. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Key Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Sudbury records list smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter among the fish reported. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Fish Key Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -16°C to 17°C. Everything is compressed into the middle of the year. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. That is the shape of the year on Key Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Elson Lake is 2 km distant. Treat access at Key Lake as something to verify.