Fishing at Craignaivie Lake, Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  Craignaivie Lake sits in Cochrane District, out in Ontario. It sits in northern bush country. The town to know is Hearst, 8.1 km out. Greater Sudbury sits 402 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Water in the same corner: 1.8 km away is McIlwroth Lake, Johnson's Lake 10 km away, 11 km away is Little Casgrain Lake, East Mattawishkwia Lake 11 km away and 13 km away is Casgrain Lake. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Craignaivie Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Cochrane District include northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker and Iowa darter. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Read Craignaivie Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -19°C in January and 16°C in July. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. Break-up near early May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That shapes the year on Craignaivie Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, McIlwroth Lake is 1.8 km off. For Craignaivie Lake in particular, ask before you travel.