Rickale Lake Fishing in Greater Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Rickale Lake sits within Greater Sudbury in Ontario. Elevation runs to 264 metres. With some 60 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. At about 7.3 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. The nearest place of any size is Espanola, 22 km away. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 45 km distant. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Rickale Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Greater Sudbury list smallmouth bass, yellow perch and northern pike. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Rickale Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 18°C and January near -12°C. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about early December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. On Rickale Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Pistin Lake sits 1.4 km off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Rickale Lake before loading the car.