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Fishing Banks Lake: what the data says
715-acre lake near Ontario. The lake tops out around 96 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Lake Trout fishing at Banks Lake
Spring lake trout on Banks Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 29 to 96 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 82 ft, rated prime for summer lake trout. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 29 to 96 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Lake Whitefish fishing at Banks Lake
In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 15 to 45 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 40 to 90 ft, and winter fish settle into 25 to 70 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 82 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Banks Lake
In spring, cisco (lake herring) run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 40 to 80 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 60 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 82 ft, rated prime for summer cisco (lake herring). Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Burbot fishing at Banks Lake
Start shallow in spring: burbot sit in 25 to 70 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 29 to 96 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 60 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 82 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and midday. A heavy jig + cut bait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 29 to 96 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 82 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 43 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 24 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 24 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Banks Lake?
Banks Lake is about 96 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Banks Lake?
Anglers target lake trout, lake whitefish, burbot, cisco (lake herring) on Banks Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Banks Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 82 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Banks Lake?
For lake trout, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Makobe Lake · Grays Lake · Trethewey Lake · Heart L. · Cooke Lake · Alexander Lake
See how Banks Lake stacks up: best lake trout lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario · best burbot lakes in Ontario · best cisco (lake herring) lakes in Ontario
Browse all Ontario fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.