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Best burbot lakes in Ontario

1202 Ontario waters hold burbot, 729 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The freshwater cod that feeds at night under the ice — ugly, delicious and wildly underrated.

1. Lake Abitibi — 49 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
2. Sandy Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
3. Long Lake — 400 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
4. Lake Nipissing — 230 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
5. Lake Nipissing — 230 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
6. Lake Simcoe — 135 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 9 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
7. Sturgeon Lake — 260 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
8. Deer Lake — 217 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
9. Lake Timiskaming — 70 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
10. Red Lake — 140 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
11. Missinaibi Lake — 250 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
12. Lac des Mille Lacs — 90 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
13. Trout Lake — 150 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
14. Lac la Croix — 168 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
15. Kesagami Lake — 13 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake WhitefishWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
16. Big Trout Lake — 120 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #16: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
17. Birch Lake — 118 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
18. Onaping Lake — 160 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, MuskellungeWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
19. Rice Lake — 44 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 12 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
20. Miniss Lake — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
21. Lake Muskoka — 240 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 22 public access sites, 10 carry-in or shore-oriented
22. Pigeon Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
23. Atikwa Lake — 180 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
24. Favourable Lake — 39 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
25. Onaman Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake WhitefishWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites

…plus 1177 more Ontario waters holding burbot.

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When to fish burbot in Ontario

• Spring 25–70 ft — Post-spawn burbot slide back toward deep basins but still run shallow rock after dark.
• Summer 50–120 ft — Deep and sluggish in warm months — mostly a bycatch while jigging deep structure for lake trout.
• Fall 30–80 ft — Feeding picks up hard as the water cools — dead bait or glow spoons on deep rock at night.
• Winter 15–60 ft — Late-winter spawners stack on rock humps and shoals — glow jigs pounded on bottom after dark.

Also in Ontario: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best sauger lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best chinook salmon lakes · best coho salmon lakes · best steelhead lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best landlocked salmon lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best rock bass lakes · best white perch lakes · best cisco (lake herring) lakes · best splake lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes · best brown bullhead lakes · best lake sturgeon lakes

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