Montgomery Lake near Smooth Rock Falls: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  The Cochrane District end of Ontario holds Montgomery Lake. The setting is spruce and muskeg. The water covers some 13 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. There is roughly 2.0 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. It is low-lying compared with other Ontario water we list. Smooth Rock Falls lies 24 km from the water. Cochrane lies 32 km off, Iroquois Falls another 74 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Montgomery Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Cochrane District cover northern pike, yellow perch and white sucker. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Read Montgomery Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -19°C in January up to 17°C in July. The year here is short and sharp: a long lid, then a burst of open water. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. On Montgomery Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Simons Lake is 0.4 km distant. Nothing on Montgomery Lake should be assumed from this page alone.