Secret Lake Fishing near Timmins, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Secret Lake falls inside Sudbury. The ground around here is northern bush. With some 26 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Around 3.9 km of margin, front to back. 81 km away sits Timmins, the nearest town. Further out sit Chapleau (128 km) and Kirkland Lake (130 km). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Secret Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Sudbury include smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The near bank of Secret Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -17°C in January. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. Winter locks it down, and early May brings it back. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Plan any trip to Secret Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Bell Lake is 3.9 km distant. Where Secret Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.