Fishing at Spider Lake, Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  The Sudbury end of Ontario holds Spider Lake. The ground round it is rolling bush. The water covers some 45 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Markstay-Warren at 25 km is the nearest place to stop. It is 43 km to Greater Sudbury, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Spider Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Open biodiversity records for Sudbury list smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Spider Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 18°C and January reads -14°C. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan any trip to Spider Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. 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. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Washagami Lake is 2.1 km distant. Nothing on Spider Lake should be assumed from this page alone.