Long Lake Fishing near Elliot Lake, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Long Lake falls inside Sudbury. Beyond the shoreline you have rolling bush. At about 80 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. There is roughly 11 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. It is high ground by Ontario standards. Elliot Lake is the closest place, 57 km off. It is 116 km to Greater Sudbury, the nearest city. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. County-wide records name smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Long Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 17°C, with January the cold end at about -14°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on Long Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Boumage Lake at 1.8 km is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Long Lake.