Sterling Lake near Ely: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Sterling Lake is listed under Rainy River District, Ontario. The water sits 393 metres up. It runs to roughly 64 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. There is roughly 7.0 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Ely lies 31 km from the water. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 201 km away. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Sterling Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Rainy River District cover northern pike, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and walleye. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. The near bank of Sterling Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 19°C and January near -16°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. On Sterling Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Bibon Lake sits 1.7 km off and takes the overflow. Where Sterling Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.