Fishing Clay Lake in Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  Out in Cochrane District, Ontario, sits Clay Lake. It lies 209 metres above sea level. With some 26 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Around 3.0 km of margin, front to back. It lies lower than most water we list in Ontario. Kapuskasing sits 54 km from the bank. Smooth Rock Falls is 59 km and Cochrane 102 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Clay Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Cochrane District records list northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker, Iowa darter and logperch among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Clay Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 17°C and January at -19°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. Climate averages put the opening at about early May and the closing near mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Clay Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Nonigose Lake at 4.2 km is the nearest alternative. Confirm before you fish Clay Lake.