Menard Lake, Ontario: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Menard Lake lies in Cochrane District, Ontario. The surface lies 267 metres up. The water measures roughly 6 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. Our Cochrane District list holds plenty of bigger water. Start from Cochrane, 4.8 km down the road. Then Iroquois Falls, 37 km, and Smooth Rock Falls, 54 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Menard Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. 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. Cochrane District records list northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker and Iowa darter among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. On Menard Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 17°C in July and bottom out at -19°C in January. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Menard Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Little Menard Lake at 0.4 km is the sensible second choice. Check the position at Menard Lake before loading the car.