Daniel Lake Fishing Guide, Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  The Cochrane District end of Ontario holds Daniel Lake. What surrounds it is spruce and muskeg. Small at around 8 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Cochrane District list. Supplies mean a trip to Hornepayne, 39 km off. Thunder Bay sits 359 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Daniel Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Cochrane District include northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker and Iowa darter. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Daniel Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 16°C in July and bottom out at -19°C in January. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Look for the thaw near early May; the fishing lifts straight after. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Daniel Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Insect Lake, 0.9 km out. Confirm before you fish Daniel Lake.