Topham Lake Fishing in Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Topham Lake sits within Sudbury in Ontario. This is taiga country. Surface area runs to roughly 1.03 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. Some 6.4 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Few waters listed in Sudbury are bigger. The nearest town is Chapleau, 36 km away. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 263 km distant. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Topham Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Sudbury, recorded fish include smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Anyone new to Topham Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 16°C; by January the average is down near -15°C. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. That is the shape of the year on Topham Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Hurd Lake at 1.8 km is the nearest alternative. For Topham Lake in particular, ask before you travel.