Crotch Lake Depth Map (Muskoka District Municipality, ON)

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Lake depth chart

Crotch Lake, ON

Max 50 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Hopper & ant season (windward banks) window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Hopper & ant season (windward banks)Active window

Typical here: Jul 1 – Sep 15 · hoppers peak July–August; winged-ant falls show up on warm humid afternoons — a wind event, not a hatch

adultwarm, breezy afternoons, roughly 1–5pm — slap the imitation down hard — the splat is the trigger — then wait; count to three after the rise before setting

Work the windward bank on breezy summer afternoons — that's where the food is. Casting-bubble-and-hopper is the direct translation; otherwise run small topwaters and inline spinners tight along the grass edges and blowdown banks in the afternoon warmth.

The event happens over windward grassy banks, overhanging brush and blowdowns — wherever the breeze dumps the bugs

Fall shiner runActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · same push on the Ontario side — Simcoe's shiners migrate shallow as the water cools, and the predators ride with them

adultdaylight for the jig bite; after dark the shiners stack under dock lights with walleyes and pike mixed right in — follow the bait, not the spot — millions of shiners move together and the predators ride with them; silver profile and flash matter

Concentrates hard but travels — the school (and the walleyes under it) can be off a river mouth one week and miles upriver the next.

Jig-and-minnow is the event's signature — a frozen emerald shiner on a 1/4 oz jig drifted along the run; silver jerkbaits and trolled crankbaits take the roaming fish; blade baits under the schools.

The event happens over river mouths and the first miles upriver, warming shallow shorelines, and rocky points where the displaced bait stacks

Next on this water

Hex (giant mayfly) · mayflyMay 25 – Aug 10 · in ~9 months

June mayfly hatch (walleye lakes) · mayflyJun 1 – Aug 10 · in ~9 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Crotch Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Crotch Lake on the board.

Fishing Crotch Lake: what the data says

26-acre lake in Muskoka District Municipality, Ontario. The lake tops out around 50 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:

Traced from the shoreline, Crotch Lake runs 26 acres with 1.3 miles of edge. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.8) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 58% of this chart, as modeled. Call it 0.3 mi long by 0.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in Muskoka District Municipality. The nearest mapped water is Hardup Lake, 0 mi to the northwest.

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Crotch Lake

Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (13 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (23 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (13 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Break off the point (23 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Brown Bullhead fishing at Crotch Lake

In spring, brown bullhead run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring brown bullhead. Time it for after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	2 to 8 ft	dusk & night	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)
Summer	3 to 12 ft	night & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)
Fall	5 to 15 ft	dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (43 ft)

Notable structure

The chart marks 4 structure features on Crotch Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 43 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 43 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 23 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 13 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft

Crotch Lake fishing regulations

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 Crotch Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Crotch Lake?

Crotch Lake is about 50 ft (15 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.

What fish are in Crotch Lake?

Anglers target smallmouth bass, brown bullhead on Crotch Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Crotch Lake?

Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Crotch Lake?

For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

What are the fishing regulations for Crotch Lake?

Fishing on Crotch 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.

Nearby waters

Hardup Lake 0 mi · Eighteen Mile Lake 0 mi · Seventeen Mile Lake 1 mi · Buck Lake 1 mi · Upper Oxbow Lake 1 mi · Eiler Lake 2 mi · Sixteen Mile Lake 2 mi · Burns Lake 2 mi · Solitaire Lake 2 mi · Split Rock Lake 2 mi · Little Clear L. 2 mi · Turtle L. 2 mi

See how Crotch Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best brown bullhead 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.