Fishing at Simpson Lake, Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  Simpson Lake stands in Cochrane District, Ontario. Height above sea level is 304 metres. Surface area is around 32 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. About 2.6 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. The closest town, Timmins, is 6 km distant. Iroquois Falls is 55 km away, with Cochrane at 70 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Simpson Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker and Iowa darter. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Simpson Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -18°C to 18°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. On Simpson Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. 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. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Edwards Lake at 1.2 km is the nearest alternative. Treat access at Simpson Lake as something to verify.