Fishing McCallum Lake in Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Out in Sudbury, Ontario, sits McCallum Lake. Around the bank it is northern bush. Around 29 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. The edge runs 3.9 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It is high ground by Ontario standards. Chapleau at 52 km is the nearest place to stop. For a city, Greater Sudbury is 187 km off. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on McCallum Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Sudbury, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. McCallum Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -15°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. The lid tends to go about late April and return around mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Anyone fishing McCallum Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Haddock Lake is 4.1 km off. Signs at McCallum Lake carry more weight than any list.