Fishing at Allan Lake, Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  Cochrane District, Ontario, is where Allan Lake sits. The surface lies 278 metres up. This is sizeable water at about 1.75 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. The shoreline runs about 6.5 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Size puts it in the front rank of our Cochrane District list. You are 74 km from Longlac. For a city, Thunder Bay is 312 km off. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Allan Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker, Iowa darter and logperch. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Treat Allan Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 16°C and January about -20°C. Everything is compressed into the middle of the year. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Time your trip to Allan Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Gaffney Lake at 1.4 km is the sensible second choice. Confirm access to Allan Lake locally before you travel.