Hill Lake Fishing Guide, Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  You will find Hill Lake in Cochrane District, Ontario. The bank is 316 metres above sea level. The water covers some 19 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The edge runs 1.8 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Kirkland Lake lies 48 km from the water. Greater Sudbury is the closest city, 199 km away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Hill Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish documented in Cochrane District include northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker and Iowa darter. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Hill Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 17°C; the cold one sits at -18°C. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. On average, early May opens the water and mid November closes it again. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. That is the shape of the year on Hill Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Lemoine Lake, 0.4 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Hill Lake if anything is unclear.