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30-acre lake in Muskoka District Municipality, Ontario. The lake tops out around 11 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Traced from the shoreline, Barkway Lake runs 30 acres with 0.9 miles of edge. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.2) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. The basin spans about 0.3 mi end to end and 0.3 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Muskoka District Municipality. The nearest mapped water is Ben Lake, 2 mi to the west.
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 11 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 11 ft; winter keeps them in 3 to 11 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 11 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 11 ft, and they winter in 3 to 11 ft. Shoreline break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for winter smallmouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (5 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline break (5 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Shoreline break (5 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 11 ft, wintering in 3 to 11 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Shoreline break (5 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for rock bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 11 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 11 ft. Start at Shoreline break. It's a drop-off holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in the evening. A ned rig (small) or a marabou jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | Shoreline break (5 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Shoreline break (5 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Come spring, look for pumpkinseed tight to the bank in 1 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 2 to 10 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 11 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: brown bullhead sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 11 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for brown bullhead in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | Deep basin (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) |
Count 4 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 9 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Ontario waters are set by the Ontario fishing regulations (FMZ summary) — and special regulations can apply to Barkway Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Barkway Lake is about 11 ft (3 m) deep 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.
Anglers target yellow perch, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Barkway Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For yellow perch, 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.
Fishing on Barkway Lake is regulated by the Ontario fishing regulations (FMZ summary). Check the official Ontario regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Ben Lake 2 mi · Bass Lake 3 mi · Weismuller Lake 3 mi · Buck Lake 4 mi · Long Lake 4 mi · Fawn Lake 5 mi · Riley Lake 5 mi · Blackmoore Lake 5 mi · Three Mile Lake 5 mi · Mink Lake 6 mi · Island Lake 6 mi · Doe Lake 6 mi
See how Barkway Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best rock bass lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Muskoka District Municipality fishing maps (276 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.