Skelton Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Sudbury, Ontario, this is Skelton Lake. It lies 402 metres above sea level. Around 56 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. The edge covers about 8.0 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. Dowling lies 83 km from the water. Rayside-Balfour is 89 km and Elliot Lake 96 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Skelton Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Sudbury include smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Treat Skelton Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 17°C on average, January about -15°C. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. On Skelton Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Thorpe Lake, 1.6 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Skelton Lake.