Lily Lake in Sudbury: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lily Lake stands in Sudbury, Ontario. This is spruce and muskeg country. At 5 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 Sudbury. For a base, Chapleau sits 40 km out. For a city, Greater Sudbury is 276 km off. Also on the doorstep: Burnt Lake just 0.8 km, 1.2 km out stands Madge Lake, Delmage Lake just 1.8 km, 2.2 km out stands Grass Lake and Musquash Lake just 3 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lily Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Sudbury include smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Anyone new to Lily Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 16°C in July and bottoms out near -16°C in January. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. That is the shape of the year on Lily Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Burnt Lake at 0.8 km is the nearest alternative. Rules at Lily Lake are worth checking on the day.