Rat Lake Fishing near Lively, Ontario

• Overview

  Rat Lake is one of the Greater Sudbury listings for Ontario. It stands 226 metres above sea level. The water covers around 2.07 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The outline measures near 13 km, so local knowledge counts. Few waters listed in Greater Sudbury are bigger. Lively sits 19 km from here and is the nearest stop. Dowling lies 30 km off, Azilda another 31 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Rat Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Greater Sudbury, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike and pumpkinseed. The county list is broader than any single water. At Rat Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 19°C, while January sits near -12°C. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near early December in autumn. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. At Rat Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. The nearest car park we can see is 760 m out, so expect a walk with your gear. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. West Lake, 2.2 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Rat Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.