Fishing at Vermilion Lake, Greater Sudbury, Ontario

• Overview

  Vermilion Lake is a Greater Sudbury water, Ontario side. It sits in rolling bush. At 11.21 sq km you are fishing a fraction of it whatever you do. With about 31 km of shoreline, local advice saves a lot of walking. Size puts it in the front rank of our Greater Sudbury list. You are 8.6 km from Dowling. Then Rayside-Balfour, 17 km, and Lively, 21 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Vermilion Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Greater Sudbury include smallmouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike, pumpkinseed and rock bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Vermilion Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 18°C and January near -13°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Plan any trip to Vermilion Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Boat services are 780 m out at the marina. Mapping shows a campsite some 910 m from the water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Simmons Lake, 3 km out. Check the position at Vermilion Lake before loading the car.