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Fishing Groom Lake: what the data says
146-acre lake near Ontario. The lake tops out around 39 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.
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Groom Lake
Spring cisco (lake herring) on Groom Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 39 ft. Summer fish stay in 12 to 39 ft, and winter fish hold in 12 to 39 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 33 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 39 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 12 to 39 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 12 to 39 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Yellow Perch fishing at Groom Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is 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 Groom Lake
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 39 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 12 to 39 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Pumpkinseed fishing at Groom Lake
Spring pumpkinseed on Groom Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 10 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for pumpkinseed in spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) gets it done.
| 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 Groom 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 5 ft, rated prime for spring brown bullhead. Best bite is 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 | 10 to 25 ft | midday |
Burbot fishing at Groom Lake
In spring, burbot run shallow here, mostly 12 to 39 ft. Summer fish stay in 12 to 39 ft, and winter fish hold in 10 to 39 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 33 ft, rated prime for spring burbot. Best bite is after dark and midday. Tie on a heavy jig + cut bait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 12 to 39 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 12 to 39 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 12 to 39 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 10 to 39 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 33 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 18 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 10 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 10 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Common questions
How deep is Groom Lake?
Groom Lake is about 39 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 Groom Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, yellow perch, burbot, cisco (lake herring), pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Groom Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Groom Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 33 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Groom Lake?
For cisco (lake herring), 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
Little Clam Lake · Perbeth Lake · Woodrow Lake · Mayer Lake · Emsdale Lake · NL
See how Groom Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best burbot lakes in Ontario · best cisco (lake herring) lakes in Ontario
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