Smith Lake Fishing near Kapuskasing, Ontario

• Overview

  Smith Lake is one of the Cochrane District listings for Ontario. It sits in boreal forest country. It measures about 29 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Shoreline comes to about 3.7 km, small enough to learn in a day. The closest town, Kapuskasing, is 63 km distant. Smooth Rock Falls lies 74 km off, Cochrane another 116 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Smith Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. County-wide records name northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker, Iowa darter and logperch. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Read Smith Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 16°C in July and bottom out at -19°C in January. This far north the hard season runs and runs. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Plan around that when you fish Smith Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Howells Lake is 3.7 km distant. Nothing here settles the position at Smith Lake for certain.