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Fishing Elkhorn L.: what the data says
830-acre lake near Ontario. The lake tops out around 70 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Splake fishing at Elkhorn L.
Start shallow in spring: splake sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 32 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a trolled spoon at the thermocline or a white tube jig (deep) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Small casting spoon (gold/orange), Inline spinner |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon at the thermocline, White tube jig (deep) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 10 to 45 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon tipped with minnow head, Small white tube |
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Elkhorn L.
In spring, cisco (lake herring) run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 21 to 70 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 60 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 60 ft that scores prime in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 21 to 70 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Walleye fishing at Elkhorn L.
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 32 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Best bite is 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 | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Elkhorn L.
Spring yellow perch on Elkhorn L. hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch 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 | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Elkhorn L.
Spring smallmouth bass on Elkhorn L. hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 18 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 60 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 32 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 18 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 18 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Elkhorn L.?
Elkhorn L. is about 70 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 Elkhorn L.?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, cisco (lake herring), splake on Elkhorn L..
Where is the best fishing spot on Elkhorn L.?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 32 ft of water that rates prime for splake in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Elkhorn L.?
For splake, 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.
Nearby waters
Crawford L. · Long L. · Margueratt Lake · Dobie Lake · Boyd L. · Logan Lake
See how Elkhorn L. stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best walleye lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best cisco (lake herring) lakes in Ontario
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