Fernow Lake Fishing Guide, Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in Cochrane District, Ontario, this is Fernow Lake. Height above sea level is 260 metres. The water covers around 6.82 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. With 19 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Size puts it in the front rank of our Cochrane District list. The closest town, Longlac, is 38 km distant. It is 288 km to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Fernow Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Cochrane District records list northern pike, yellow perch and white sucker among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Fernow Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 16°C, the coldest about -19°C. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. On Fernow Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Gervis Lake at 4.5 km is the sensible second choice. Where Fernow Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.