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10,557-acre lake near Canandaigua. The lake tops out around 250 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Canandaigua Lake maps at 10,465 acres behind 37.6 miles of shoreline. A development index of 2.6 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 11% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 15.3 mi of water from one end to the other, 2.6 mi at the beam. Ontario County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Honeoye Lake, is 10 mi to the west.
When the water first warms, lake trout slide up into 10 to 40 ft. Summer is a 50 to 120 ft game here, winter a 20 to 80 ft one. Start at Rock reef. It's a rock pile holding about 11 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (26 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (25 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (11 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (24 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Spring rainbow trout on Canandaigua Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. Put Sucker Brook inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sucker Brook inflow (4 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (26 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (11 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (26 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Rock reef: a rock pile around 11 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (11 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (24 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (24 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Offshore hump (24 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Old creek channel. It's a creek channel holding about 26 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Dock / pier line (15 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Sucker Brook inflow (4 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Old creek channel (26 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (24 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (24 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (24 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
When the water first warms, northern pike slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Sucker Brook inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Sucker Brook inflow (4 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (19 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Feeding flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Feeding flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Canandaigua Lake also holds walleye (15 to 35 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Canandaigua Lake carries 23 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 248 ft down.
Access data: New York State DEC — Boat Launches (FishNY). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | Brown Trout | 7,210 | ~8" |
| October 2025* | Lake Trout | 24,100 | ~6.1" |
| May 2025* | Brown Trout | 7,140 | ~7.8" |
| March 2025* | Lake Trout | 11,000 | ~8" |
| October 2024* | Lake Trout | 24,100 | ~6.5" |
| April 2024* | Lake Trout | 9,440 | ~7.3" |
| April 2024* | Brown Trout | 7,280 | ~8.8" |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: NYSDEC fish-stocking lists, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC — and special regulations can apply to Canandaigua Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Canandaigua Lake is about 250 ft (76 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target lake trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike, walleye on Canandaigua Lake.
Rock reef is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
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.
Yes — per NYSDEC fish-stocking lists records, Canandaigua Lake was most recently stocked 2026 with 7,210 brown trout. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Canandaigua Lake is regulated by the New York DEC. Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Honeoye Lake 10 mi · Canadice Lake 14 mi · Hemlock Lake 15 mi · Keuka Lake 19 mi · Conesus Lake 20 mi · Seneca Lake 22 mi · Waneta Lake 25 mi · Lamoka Lake 28 mi · Cayuga Lake 31 mi · Silver Lake 37 mi · Cayuta Lake 40 mi · Duck Lake 41 mi
See how Canandaigua Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best walleye lakes in New York · best northern pike lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.