Durrel Lake Fishing Guide, Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  Durrel Lake stands in Cochrane District, Ontario. It stands 234 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to about 6 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Most waters listed here for Cochrane District are larger. Smooth Rock Falls sits 48 km from the bank. Kapuskasing follows at 69 km, then Cochrane at 82 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Durrel Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Open biodiversity records for Cochrane District list northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker and Iowa darter. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Durrel Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 17°C and January about -19°C. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. On average, early May opens the water and mid November closes it again. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. The season on Durrel Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Homer Lake, 5.2 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Durrel Lake are worth checking on the day.