Pledger Lake in Cochrane District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Pledger Lake lies within the bounds of Cochrane District, Ontario. Country round the bank runs to taiga. Around 31.53 sq km of open water: conditions change from one end to the other. There is roughly 31 km of bank, and each arm behaves like its own water. It is among the larger waters listed here for Cochrane District. Hearst lies 133 km from the water. It is 487 km to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Pledger Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name northern pike, yellow perch and white sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read Pledger Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -20°C and July at about 17°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early May. 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. The season on Pledger Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Nash Lake is 20 km off. For Pledger Lake in particular, ask before you travel.