Reef Lake Fishing near Lively, Ontario

• Overview

  Reef Lake is listed under Greater Sudbury, Ontario. The surface lies 236 metres up. It measures some 2.23 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The margin runs to about 11 km in total. On our Greater Sudbury list it sits near the top for size. 21 km away sits Lively, the nearest town. The nearest city of size is Greater Sudbury, 32 km away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Reef Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Greater Sudbury include smallmouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike, pumpkinseed and rock bass. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Reef Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 19°C and January at -11°C. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. From about late April to around early December, expect open water on the long-run figures. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. At Reef Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Little Trout Lake, 2.4 km out. Confirm before you fish Reef Lake.