Fishing at Turnip Lake, Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Cochrane District entry here is Turnip Lake, in Ontario. The land about it is northern bush. It measures about 18 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. A shoreline of some 3.1 km keeps the choices simple. The nearest place of any size is Hornepayne, 37 km away. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 365 km distant. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Turnip Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Cochrane District, recorded fish include northern pike, yellow perch and white sucker. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Turnip Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -19°C to 16°C. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Turnip Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Eagle Lake is 0.6 km distant. Treat Turnip Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.