Big Skunk Lake Fishing in Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  Big Skunk Lake is a Cochrane District water, in Ontario. Everything around it is spruce and muskeg. At 3.67 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. At about 22 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Size puts it in the front rank of our Cochrane District list. 45 km away sits Hornepayne, the nearest town. Hearst is 65 km and Manitouwadge 106 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Big Skunk Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Cochrane District cover northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker, Iowa darter and logperch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Big Skunk Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 16°C and January at -19°C. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early May. Open water usually runs from early May until about mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. At Big Skunk Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Johnston Lake sits 1.3 km off and takes the overflow. What applies at Big Skunk Lake may have changed since it was mapped.