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Fishing Lake Manitou: what the data says
26,133-acre lake near Manitowaning. The lake tops out around 160 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Lake Trout fishing at Lake Manitou
Start shallow in spring: lake trout sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 50 to 120 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 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 |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Lake Manitou
Spring smallmouth bass on Lake Manitou 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 Rock reef, a rock pile in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. 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 |
Lake Whitefish fishing at Lake Manitou
In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 15 to 45 ft. By summer they slide out to 40 to 90 ft, and by winter most fish are in 25 to 70 ft. Rock reef is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for fall lake whitefish. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Yellow Perch fishing at Lake Manitou
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 34 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Plan around early morning in the warm months. 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) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 156 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 53 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 43 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 34 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 29 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 17 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 12 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 6 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 4 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Manitou?
Lake Manitou is about 160 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Lake Manitou?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, yellow perch, lake trout, lake whitefish on Lake Manitou.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Manitou?
Rock reef is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lake Manitou?
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
Big Lake · Mindemoya Lake · Lake Kagawong · La Cloche Lake · Whitefish River · Frood Lake
See how Lake Manitou stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario
Browse all Ontario fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.