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Fishing Compass Lake: what the data says
134-acre lake near Ontario. The lake tops out around 21 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Yellow Perch fishing at Compass Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 21 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 21 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Best bite is 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Compass Lake
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 21 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 21 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Pumpkinseed fishing at Compass Lake
Start shallow in spring: pumpkinseed sit in 1 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 10 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 18 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring pumpkinseed. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) covers the summer program.
| 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 Compass Lake
Start shallow in spring: brown bullhead sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 3 to 12 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 21 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 18 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 6 to 21 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 18 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 9 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 Compass Lake?
Compass Lake is about 21 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 Compass Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Compass Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Compass 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.
When is the best time to fish Compass Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Penuel Lake · Round Lake · Doe Lake · Buck Lake · Johnson L. · Bittern Lake
See how Compass Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best pumpkinseed lakes in Ontario · best brown bullhead lakes in Ontario
Browse all Ontario fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.