Old Sawmill Lake near Dowling: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Old Sawmill Lake is a Greater Sudbury water, in Ontario. The country round it is lake country bush from end to end. Surface area runs to about 8 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Bank access stretches around 2.3 km in total. Most waters listed here for Greater Sudbury are larger. Supplies mean a trip to Dowling, 12 km off. For a city, Greater Sudbury is 41 km off. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Old Sawmill Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name smallmouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike and pumpkinseed. The county list is broader than any single water. Treat Old Sawmill Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -14°C in January up to 18°C in July. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Old Sawmill Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. New Sawmill Lake, 0.9 km away, makes the obvious fallback. For Old Sawmill Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.