McAlpine Lake Fishing Guide, Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  You will find McAlpine Lake in Cochrane District, Ontario. The bank is 248 metres above sea level. The water covers some 23 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 2.4 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Nearest town is Smooth Rock Falls, 62 km off. It is 364 km to Greater Sudbury, the nearest city. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on McAlpine Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Cochrane District include northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker, Iowa darter and logperch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Read McAlpine Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 16°C in July and bottoms out near -19°C in January. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Plan around that when you fish McAlpine 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. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Georgina Lake at 7.2 km is the sensible second choice. Rules at McAlpine Lake are worth checking on the day.