Eleanor Lake Fishing in Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  Eleanor Lake is set in Cochrane District, Ontario. The water sits 207 metres up. The water covers around 2.47 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. Around 9.8 km of bank, which is a long day on foot. On our Cochrane District list it sits near the top for size. The nearest place of any size is Kapuskasing, 38 km away. After that come Hearst at 82 km and Smooth Rock Falls at 83 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Eleanor Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Cochrane District include northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker, Iowa darter and logperch. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Fish Eleanor Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 17°C; the cold one sits at -19°C. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early May. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Eleanor Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Dyer Lake, 3.6 km out. Nothing here settles the position at Eleanor Lake for certain.