Lake Cochrane in Deuel County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lake Cochrane is a Deuel County water, in South Dakota. Mixed forest runs right down to the water. It measures some 363 acres, and wind has room to build across it. The perimeter runs near 3.5 miles, so plan the walk before you start. Supplies mean a trip to Canby, 9.9 miles off. Clear Lake is 10 miles away, with Madison at 25 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Lake Cochrane

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Deuel County list white sucker, Iowa darter and johnny darter. The county list is broader than any single water. On Lake Cochrane the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 11°F and July at about 71°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. Averages place the thaw at early April and the freeze at late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Lake Cochrane rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A boat ramp sits half a mile away, so trailered boats can get on. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Lake Oliver, 0.8 miles away. Check the position at Lake Cochrane before loading the car.