Stephenson Lake in Sudbury: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Sudbury, Ontario. The water sits 357 metres up. Surface area is around 66 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Some 8.6 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. The closest town, Chapleau, is 71 km distant. Wawa is 77 km and Hornepayne 112 km. Not far off: Alister Lake lies 1.5 km on, Colborne Lake 1.9 km, Quary Lake lies 2.2 km on, Spring Lake 2.7 km and Campbell Lake lies 3.1 km on. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Stephenson Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Sudbury include smallmouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Stephenson Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 16°C, while January sits near -16°C. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Stephenson Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Overnight stays are possible about 440 m out, where camping is mapped. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, Alister Lake is 1.5 km distant. What applies at Stephenson Lake may have changed since it was mapped.