Benner Lake Fishing Guide, Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  Out in Cochrane District, Ontario, sits Benner Lake. This is northern bush country. Surface area is around 26 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The edge runs 3.0 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Hearst sits 46 km from the bank. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 391 km away. What else is close: Ruth Lake some 2.1 km off, Kabina Lake 2.1 km, McFarlan Lake some 2.5 km off, Osland Lake 4.7 km and Pot Lake some 6.3 km off. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Benner Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Cochrane District cover northern pike, yellow perch and white sucker. The county list is broader than any single water. At Benner Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -18°C in January and 16°C in July. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Winter locks it down, and early May brings it back. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Benner Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Ruth Lake, 2.1 km out. Ask locally about Benner Lake if anything is unclear.