Ogahalla Lake in Cochrane District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Ogahalla Lake is a Cochrane District water, in Ontario. The country round it is northern bush from end to end. This is sizeable water at about 1.88 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. You are looking at roughly 10 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. Size puts it in the front rank of our Cochrane District list. The town to know is Longlac, 42 km out. It is 294 km to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Ogahalla Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Cochrane District include northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker and Iowa darter. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Ogahalla Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 16°C, the coldest about -19°C. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Ogahalla Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Wingood Lake sits 3 km off and takes the overflow. Where Ogahalla Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.