Lake Whitefish fishing at Barnard Lake

Start shallow in spring: lake whitefish sit in 15 to 45 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 40 to 90 ft, and winter fish settle into 25 to 70 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 81 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.

Walleye fishing at Barnard Lake

Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.

Yellow Perch fishing at Barnard Lake

Spring yellow perch on Barnard Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.

Northern Pike fishing at Barnard Lake

Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.

Rock Bass fishing at Barnard Lake

Spring rock bass on Barnard Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 12 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for rock bass in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. Summer baits: a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig gets it done.

Burbot fishing at Barnard Lake

In spring, burbot run shallow here, mostly 25 to 70 ft. They move out to 29 to 95 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 60 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 81 ft, rated prime for summer burbot. Plan around after dark and midday in the warm months. Tie on a heavy jig + cut bait and you're in the game.

How deep is Barnard Lake?

Barnard Lake is about 95 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 Barnard Lake?

Anglers target walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, lake whitefish, burbot, rock bass on Barnard Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Barnard Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 81 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Barnard Lake?

For lake whitefish, 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.