Fishing at North Pagwachuan Lake, Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Cochrane District entry here is North Pagwachuan Lake, in Ontario. The water sits 252 metres up. It measures some 1.29 sq km, and wind has room to build across it. The edge covers about 8.8 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. On our Cochrane District list it sits near the top for size. You are 67 km from Longlac. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 310 km distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on North Pagwachuan Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker, Iowa darter and logperch. The county list is broader than any single water. The near bank of North Pagwachuan Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 16°C, the coldest about -19°C. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That is the shape of the year on North Pagwachuan Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Bicknell Lake, 2.9 km away. None of that is settled for North Pagwachuan Lake in what we hold.