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Fishing Big Poplar Lake: what the data says
77-acre lake near Ontario. The lake tops out around 22 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.
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Big Poplar Lake
In spring, cisco (lake herring) run shallow here, mostly 6 to 22 ft. Summer fish stay in 7 to 22 ft, and winter fish hold in 7 to 22 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 19 ft that scores prime in spring. 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 | 6 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 4 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Walleye fishing at Big Poplar Lake
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 7 to 22 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 22 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Big Poplar Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 7 to 22 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 22 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Pumpkinseed fishing at Big Poplar Lake
Spring pumpkinseed on Big Poplar Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. They move out to 2 to 10 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for pumpkinseed in spring. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Brown Bullhead fishing at Big Poplar Lake
Start shallow in spring: brown bullhead sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They move out to 3 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 22 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for brown bullhead in winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 19 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 10 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Big Poplar Lake?
Big Poplar Lake is about 22 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 Big Poplar Lake?
Anglers target walleye, yellow perch, cisco (lake herring), pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Big Poplar Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Big Poplar Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Big Poplar Lake?
For cisco (lake herring), 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
Second Twin Pond · Paddy Lake · West Aumond Lake · Red Pine Lake · Lalonde Lake · Tecumseh Lake
See how Big Poplar Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best cisco (lake herring) lakes in Ontario · best pumpkinseed lakes in Ontario
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