Pickerel Lake Fishing near Cochrane, Ontario

• Overview

  In Ontario, Pickerel Lake falls inside Cochrane District. The surface lies 268 metres up. Surface area is around 90 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The edge runs 4.2 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Supplies mean a trip to Cochrane, 24 km off. For a city, Greater Sudbury is 263 km off. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Pickerel Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Cochrane District cover northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker and Iowa darter. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Pickerel Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 17°C and January near -18°C on the long-run figures. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. The water is typically free of ice between early May and mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That shapes the year on Pickerel Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Crawfish Lake sits 5.5 km off and takes the overflow. Treat Pickerel Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.