Gardiner Lake Fishing Guide, Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  Out in Cochrane District, Ontario, sits Gardiner Lake. Height above sea level is 235 metres. The water covers some 46 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. A shoreline of some 4.1 km keeps the choices simple. For supplies, Cochrane is 26 km out. Then Smooth Rock Falls, 44 km, and Iroquois Falls, 65 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Gardiner Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Cochrane District include northern pike, yellow perch and white sucker. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Gardiner Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 17°C and January at -19°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Look for the thaw near early May; the fishing lifts straight after. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Plan around that when you fish Gardiner Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Gowan Lake, 0.9 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Gardiner Lake.