Tish Lake Fishing in Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  Within Cochrane District, Ontario, you have Tish Lake. It sits at 274 metres above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 10 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Smooth Rock Falls sits 24 km from here and is the nearest stop. For a city, Greater Sudbury is 299 km off. Also on the doorstep: Ante Lake within 1 km, Fowler Lake 4.3 km, Wiskin Lake within 5.5 km, Poker Lake 5.7 km and Park Lake within 5.7 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Tish Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Cochrane District records list northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker and Iowa darter among the fish reported. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Tish Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 17°C, the coldest about -19°C. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. On average, early May opens the water and mid November closes it again. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Time your trip to Tish Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Ante Lake is 1 km distant. Treat Tish Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.