Cow Lake Fishing in Timiskaming District, Ontario

• Overview

  Out in Timiskaming District, Ontario, sits Cow Lake. The bank is 355 metres above sea level. Small at around 5 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Our Timiskaming District list holds plenty of bigger water. 71 km away sits Timmins, the nearest town. For a city, Greater Sudbury is 155 km off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Cow Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. 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. Reported across Timiskaming District: brook trout, northern pike, yellow perch and Iowa darter. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Cow Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 17°C for July and -17°C for January. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Count the season from break-up, usually early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It holds true on Cow Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. 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. Ragan Lake sits 0.8 km off and takes the overflow. Treat access at Cow Lake as something to verify.