Malloch Lake Fishing Guide, Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  Cochrane District in Ontario is where Malloch Lake sits. It lies 328 metres above sea level. Roughly 55 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. There is roughly 6.6 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. The nearest place of any size is Kirkland Lake, 27 km away. Further out sit Iroquois Falls (57 km) and Englehart (63 km). It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Malloch Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Cochrane District list northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker, Iowa darter and logperch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Malloch Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -18°C in January. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Average temperatures cross freezing around early May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It holds true on Malloch Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Borgford Lake sits 0.8 km off and takes the overflow. For Malloch Lake in particular, ask before you travel.