Simon Lake in Greater Sudbury: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Simon Lake lies within the bounds of Greater Sudbury, Ontario. It stands 230 metres above sea level. At 1.01 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. You are looking at roughly 6.1 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. Size puts it in the front rank of our Greater Sudbury list. Head to Lively, 5.2 km away, for anything you forgot. Greater Sudbury sits 19 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Simon Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Greater Sudbury records list smallmouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike and pumpkinseed among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Simon Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -12°C in January up to 19°C in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about early December in an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. The season on Simon Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Whitefish Lake is 1.7 km distant. Treat Simon Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.