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Best freshwater drum lakes in Ontario

10 Ontario waters hold freshwater drum, 10 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 hardest-pulling fish nobody brags about. Roams current seams and mussel beds — bites all day.

1. Lake Abitibi — 49 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch
2. Lake Nipissing — 230 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
3. Lake Nipissing — 230 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
4. Grand River section — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
5. Blackstone Harbour — 62 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
6. Woods Bay — 39 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
7. Moon River Bay — 23 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
8. Lake Moodie — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
9. Mill Pond — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
10. Whitefish River — 23 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass

When to fish freshwater drum in Ontario

• Spring 5–20 ft — Big spring runs into current — gravel bars and creek mouths.
• Summer 8–30 ft — Channel edges and mussel beds; drum feed by ear — a dragging bait gets found.
• Fall 10–35 ft — Schools slide toward deep holes; slow bottom presentations.
• Winter 15–45 ft — Deep and slow.

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 common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best chinook salmon lakes · best coho salmon lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best landlocked salmon lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best burbot 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

Freshwater Drum elsewhere: Minnesota · Québec · Iowa · Indiana · Nebraska · Ohio · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Texas · Illinois · Kansas · Tennessee · Missouri