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Fishing Jim Lake: what the data says
493-acre lake near Ontario. The lake tops out around 69 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.
Lake Trout fishing at Jim Lake
Spring lake trout on Jim Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 21 to 69 ft, and winter fish settle into 17 to 69 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 59 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 21 to 69 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 | 17 to 69 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Jim Lake
Start shallow in spring: cisco (lake herring) sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. They move out to 21 to 69 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 60 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 59 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) 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 69 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 |
Yellow Perch fishing at Jim Lake
Spring yellow perch on Jim Lake 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. 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) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Jim Lake
Spring smallmouth bass on Jim Lake 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. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 17 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. 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 59 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 31 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 17 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 17 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Jim Lake?
Jim Lake is about 69 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 Jim Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, yellow perch, lake trout, cisco (lake herring) on Jim Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Jim Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 59 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 Jim 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
Kemuel Lake · Little Brown Lake · Abbess Lake · Olympia Lake · Caribus Lake · Owl Lake
See how Jim Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario · best cisco (lake herring) lakes in Ontario
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