Stray Lake Fishing in Cochrane District, Ontario

• Overview

  Look for Stray Lake in Cochrane District, Ontario. It sits at 258 metres above sea level. The water covers some 57 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline length is close to 5.5 km, and each section fishes a little differently. You are 37 km from Hearst. Beyond it, Kapuskasing at 79 km and Hornepayne at 93 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Stray Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Cochrane District, recorded fish include northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker and Iowa darter. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Stray Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -18°C in January up to 16°C in July. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. On average, early May opens the water and mid November closes it again. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Stray Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Orkney Lake at 2 km is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Stray Lake.