Searching for Gold in Cordova Lake
By Andrew Shufelt

Is there gold in Cordova Lake? Yes. Have I found it? Yes. Will I tell you exactly where it can be found, well sort of…

The history of Cordova Mines and Cordova Lake is rich with stories of the gold rush years. Over 22,000 ounces of gold were produced from the area in the late 80’s early 90’s. The gold mining days are ancient history, but the rush lives on for those willing to dig thought the watery depths of Cordova Lake. Cordova Lake gold now comes in the form of plump-bellied walleye and bronze-backed smallmouth bass. These species can be found in good numbers lurking beneath the tea-stained waters of Cordova Lake; even the muskie shine like gold.

Getting There
Getting to Cordova Lake is relatively easy, and the drive through cottage country is as pleasant as the lake itself. From Peterborough go east on highway #7 to highway #48 located on the eastern most edge of Havelock. Travel on highway #48 all the way to the either of the boat launches listed below. The closest well-equipped tackle store is Chris’s Live Bait & Tackle located one kilometre east of Marmora. Chris know’s all the lakes in the area, and his tips on tackle and techniques to try make a visit to his store worthwhile. There is also live-bait and a limited tackle selection available at the Cordova Lake Campground, located on Cordova Lake six kilometres north of the town of Cordova Mines on Vansickle Road.
There are two public access points to get a motorboat or canoe onto Cordova Lake. One launch is located at north end and is maintained and operated by the Cordova Lake Campground ($10 daily launch fee); the other launch is located at south end off of Fire Route #18 (three kilometres north of Preston Road). Traveling to the south end launch leads you on a twisty, bumpy trail wide enough for two cars, but only just in some spots. Extreme driving caution is a must when trailering a boat on this back road.

About the Lake
There are numerous species of game fish worth targeting in Cordova Lake. The most plentiful species are smallmouth bass, and the numbers and size can be impressive; two to three pounders are common, and five pounders are in there. The second most plentiful species are walleye followed by pike, sometimes literally. There is also a largemouth bass and muskie population in the lake although targeting them can be slow at times. While Mom and Dad search for these more popular game fish, the kids can be well entertained catching rockbass and perch all day long, as the numbers of panfish in the lake are excellent.
The tea-stained waters of Cordova Lake can reach depths of 30-plus feet in some areas, but the average depths is around 10 to 15 feet. There are over a dozen rock shoals around the lake, but most of them are well marked making boating fairly safe. When looking for structure to fish on Cordova Lake, all the usual varieties can be found. The most challenging aspect to fishing Cordova Lake has to be deciding what and where to fish.

About the Fishing
I can’t think of a fishing structure that is not available on Cordova Lake; lily pads, thick weed beds, rocky points, shallow shoals, deep mid-lake humps, rapid drop-offs and shallow current areas are all found. The biggest problem fishing Cordova Lake is where to start? Everywhere seems to look “fishy”. Here’s an anonymous tip from a local, “Get up early on a calm summer’s morning. Look out over the lake and try to locate schools of baitfish busting the surface of the water. It may look like a minor ripple in the middle of a glass calm bay, but that’s what you are looking for. What you are seeing are hundreds of four to six inch perch fleeing from predators. These schools of baitfish can be seen from a good distance away. The usual predator causing the commotion is smallmouth bass, but you can often catch pike and walleye using this same tactic.”
Owning a cottage on Cordova Lake for the last five years has taught me a lot about locating fish on the lake. Spots can be hot today, and cold tomorrow. On Cordova Lake you really need to cover water to locate the active fish, by running and gunning to different spots on the lake. I usually start the morning with a fairly quick retrieving top-water bait, loud-coloured crank bait or willow-leaf spinner bait. Once I catch a fish on one of those presentations I slow down. My favourite slow presentations are: a wacky rigged Senko or a Power Bait leech on a drop shot for smallmouth bass, a slow-rolled spinner bait or a six-inch jerk bait for pike, and a crank bait in open water or a hair jig in the weeds for walleye. Colour choices will vary as the season progresses. Don’t get stuck on a favourite colour if you notice a drop in your catching success. Some years natural colours have been key for me, and other times loud colours like, chartreuse and pink work; don’t be afraid to change it up. Once you locate a fish, they are often bunched up in schools and you may be in for some impressive non-stop action so cover the spot thoroughly before leaving.
Some local fishing holes to try are well marked with white and red marker buoys. That’s no joke! The shoals that are marked around the lake have produced excellent sizes and numbers of fish for me over the years. Another spot to try is the expansive weed bed that extends the width of the lake in the northern section of the lake. This particular weed bed can be found directly west of where the Crowe river enters the lake. Try Texas-rigged worms and other weedless baits worked slowly throughout this weed bed.

“There's gold in them thar hills!” Underwater fishing gold that is. For any angler looking for a peaceful lake that’s slightly off the beaten path Cordova Lake offers numerous fishing options and a chance at the gold you may have been searching for.

Tight Lines,
Andrew Shufelt

Andrew Shufelt is a member of the Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters, Kawartha Lakes Fishing Club and the Canadian Bass Anglers Federation. He can regularly be found fishing on the Kawartha Lakes and competing in various sport fishing tournaments throughout Ontario. You can reach Andrew at ashufelt@yahoo.ca

Sidebar: To rig a worm “Texas” you first thread a bullet sinker on your line and tie on an offset hook. Next thread about an inch of the plastic worm on the hook, and thread this inch of worm all the way to the eye of the hook, leaving the eye covered. Spin the worm 180º and bury the hook point into the worm for 100% weedless or leave the hook point partially exposed for a better hooking percentage. If your bullet weight comes with a screw end, screw this into the tip of the worm.

Sidebar: Cordova Lake is part of Fisheries Management Zone FMZ 17 (loosely known as the Kawartha’s). All the regulations for FMZ 17 apply. There are no exceptions mentioned for Cordova Lake in the fishing regulations summary. Be sure to check a copy of the regulations for the most up-to-date information.