Fishing Shannon Lake in Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Shannon Lake sits in Sudbury, out in Ontario. The water sits 423 metres up. It measures some 1.38 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The margin runs to about 15 km in total. Size puts it in the front rank of our Sudbury list. Chapleau at 81 km is the nearest place to stop. Elliot Lake follows at 111 km, then Dowling at 128 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Shannon Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Sudbury cover smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Shannon Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 17°C and January at -15°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It sets the rhythm of the year at Shannon Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Cartier Lake, 1.6 km away. Rules at Shannon Lake are worth checking on the day.