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Fishing Cranberry Lake: what the data says
1,716-acre lake near Ontario. The lake tops out around 18 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 Cranberry Lake
Spring yellow perch on Cranberry Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 5 to 18 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Cranberry Lake
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 5 to 18 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 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 and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Cranberry Lake
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 5 to 18 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Cranberry Lake
Spring largemouth bass on Cranberry Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 5 to 18 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Rock Bass fishing at Cranberry Lake
Start shallow in spring: rock bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 18 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for rock bass in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. A ned rig (small) or a marabou jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dusk | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Crappie fishing at Cranberry Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 5 to 18 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Cranberry Lake also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 15 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 Cranberry Lake?
Cranberry Lake is about 18 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 Cranberry Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Cranberry Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Cranberry 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 Cranberry 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
Leo Lake · Dog Lake · South Lake · Troy Lake · Whitefish Lake · Upper Rock Lake
See how Cranberry Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best crappie lakes in Ontario
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