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122-acre lake in Muskoka District Municipality, Ontario. The lake tops out around 23 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Traced from the shoreline, Barnes Lake runs 124 acres with 7.3 miles of edge. A development index of 4.7 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. 85% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 1.9 mi long by 0.5 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Muskoka District Municipality. The nearest mapped water is Little Long Lake, 1 mi to the south.
Spring yellow perch on Barnes Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 7 to 23 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 23 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 7 to 23 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 7 to 23 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 7 to 23 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 7 to 23 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 23 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 7 to 23 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 7 to 23 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 7 to 23 ft | midday | Break off the point (10 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 7 to 23 ft for winter. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 23 ft | midday | Break off the point (10 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Barnes Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 20 ft down.
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 Barnes Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Barnes Lake is about 23 ft (7 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 on Barnes 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. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Barnes 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.
Little Long Lake 1 mi · Kling Biels L. 1 mi · High Lake 2 mi · Skeleton Lake 3 mi · Young Lake 4 mi · Nutt Lake 4 mi · Woods Lake 4 mi · Cherry Island L. 4 mi · Long Lake 5 mi · Three Mile Lake 6 mi · Golden City Lake 6 mi · Lake Rosseau 7 mi
See how Barnes Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch 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.