Scottie Lake Fishing in Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  Scottie Lake lies in Cochrane District, in Ontario. What surrounds it is northern bush. At some 1.45 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The full circuit measures close to 4.5 km on foot. It is among the larger waters listed here for Cochrane District. Hearst lies 39 km from the water. Thunder Bay sits 395 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Scottie Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Cochrane District include northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker, Iowa darter and logperch. The county list is broader than any single water. The shape of Scottie Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 16°C on average, January about -18°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. On Scottie Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Balfour Lake, 4 km out. Signs at Scottie Lake carry more weight than any list.