Fishing South Edinburgh Lake in Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Within Sudbury, Ontario, you have South Edinburgh Lake. Beyond the shoreline you have rolling bush. With some 40 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. At about 5.7 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Start from Dowling, 88 km down the road. Rayside-Balfour is 91 km and Capreol 94 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on South Edinburgh Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. South Edinburgh Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 17°C and January near -16°C. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. At South Edinburgh Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Paudash Lake sits 4 km off and takes the overflow. For South Edinburgh Lake in particular, ask before you travel.