Fishing at Little Ella Lake, Greater Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Little Ella Lake falls inside Greater Sudbury. This is rolling bush country. At about 29 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. About 3.4 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Espanola sits 20 km from the bank. Further out sit Lively (32 km) and Dowling (36 km). Water in the same corner: Ella Lake (1.4 km), 1.7 km away is Pistin Lake, Rickale Lake (2.7 km), 2.9 km away is Hock Lake and Star Lake (4.1 km). Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Little Ella Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Greater Sudbury: smallmouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike, pumpkinseed and rock bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Little Ella Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -12°C in January and 19°C in July. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. It holds true on Little Ella Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Ella Lake is 1.4 km distant. The position on Little Ella Lake is worth confirming on the day.