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Best lake trout lakes in Ontario

1868 Ontario waters list lake trout (official records or labelled estimates), 1141 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Deep, cold and long-lived. Below 50°F water year-round — shallow at ice-out and on fall spawning reefs.

1. Lake Erie — Eastern Basin — 205 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
2. Lake Erie — Central Basin East — 92 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Channel CatfishWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
3. Lake Huron — Thumb Shore — 191 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
4. Lake of the Woods — 36 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 9 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
5. Kopka River — 79 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
6. Long Lake — 400 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
7. Georgian Bay — Manitoulin & Killarney Shore — 353 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow TroutWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
8. Eagle Lake — 100 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
9. Lake Simcoe — 135 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 9 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
10. Georgian Bay — Bruce Peninsula & Tobermory — 567 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
11. Georgian Bay — Nottawasaga Bay — 314 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow TroutWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
12. Georgian Bay — Parry Sound — 350 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
13. Georgian Bay — Owen Sound & Colpoys Bay — 405 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
14. Deer Lake — 217 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
15. Lake Timiskaming — 70 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
16. Red Lake — 140 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
17. Missinaibi Lake — 250 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
18. Trout Lake — 150 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
19. Dog Lake — 328 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
20. Lac la Croix — 168 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
21. Big Trout Lake — 120 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
22. Birch Lake — 118 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
23. Onaping Lake — 160 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, MuskellungeWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
24. McInnes Lake — 160 ft max · real survey depth contours · Lake TroutWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
25. Lake Superior — Batchawana Bay — 275 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow PerchWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites

…plus 1843 more Ontario waters holding lake trout.

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When to fish lake trout in Ontario

• Spring 10–40 ft — The brief shallow window: post-ice-out lakers roam rock shoals and points where anyone can reach them.
• Summer 50–120 ft — Below the thermocline in sub-50°F water — deep humps and basin edges near bait (smelt, cisco, alewife).
• Fall 10–50 ft — Turnover puts lakers on shallow rock reefs to spawn — big fish shallow, best late in the day.
• Winter 20–80 ft — One of the best ice targets — cold water is their comfort zone; they roam basin edges and humps all winter.

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 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

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