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Fishing Garter Lake: what the data says
153-acre lake near Ontario. The lake tops out around 96 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Lake Trout fishing at Garter Lake
Start shallow in spring: lake trout sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 29 to 96 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 82 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 29 to 96 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Splake fishing at Garter Lake
In spring, splake run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 60 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 45 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 43 ft, rated prime for summer splake. 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 |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Garter Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Garter 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. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Yellow Perch fishing at Garter Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| 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) |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Garter Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Rock Bass fishing at Garter Lake
Start shallow in spring: rock bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 12 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for rock bass in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. Tie on a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig and you're in the game.
| 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 20 ft | dusk | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Garter Lake also holds 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 82 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 43 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 24 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 24 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Garter Lake?
Garter Lake is about 96 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 Garter Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch, lake trout, rock bass, splake, brown bullhead on Garter Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Garter Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 82 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Garter Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Canoe Lake · Folsom Lake · Miner Lake · Paddys Lake · Potspoon Lake · Kingsford Lake
See how Garter Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best rainbow trout lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario
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