Varley Lake Fishing near Elliot Lake, Ontario

• Overview

  The Algoma end of Ontario holds Varley Lake. It stands 381 metres above sea level. The water covers some 22 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Around 2.6 km of margin, front to back. Start from Elliot Lake, 44 km down the road. It is 165 km to Greater Sudbury, the nearest city. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Varley Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Reported across Algoma: walleye, northern pike and Iowa darter. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Varley Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -12°C and July at about 18°C, the water has a wide range to work through. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Plan any trip to Varley Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Bridge Lake at 1.2 km is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Varley Lake for certain.