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295,196-acre section. The Niagara Bar to Olcott: current-washed structure where the river meets the lake, kings staging all summer and world-class bar smallmouth. The lake tops out around 584 ft. The depth chart is built from real NOAA hydrographic survey soundings, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The outline encloses 298,649 acres, worked by 119 miles of shoreline, broken up by an island. A middling shoreline index (1.6) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. About 3% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. End to end it runs roughly 48 mi, about 13.9 mi across. If the bite dies, Niagara River (Lower) is 24 mi to the southwest.
Early season chinook salmon use the shallows, holding in 5 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 50 to 120 ft, then a winter hold in 30 to 90 ft. Put Lower Niagara River mouth first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 12 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Lower Niagara River mouth (12 ft) | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (106 ft) | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Lower Niagara River mouth (12 ft) | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 30 to 90 ft | midday | Sharp break (24 ft) | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Spring coho salmon on Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 30 to 70 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 60 ft. Put Lower Niagara River mouth first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 12 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Lower Niagara River mouth (12 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (60 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Lower Niagara River mouth (12 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | Sharp break (24 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
Start shallow in spring: steelhead sit in 3 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 45 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Lower Niagara River mouth, an inflow / creek mouth in the 12 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw an orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Lower Niagara River mouth (12 ft) | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (24 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Lower Niagara River mouth (12 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Lower Niagara River mouth (12 ft) | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Spring lake trout on Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. The chart's best answer is Rock reef — rock pile, 10 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (10 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (106 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (10 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (60 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown trout in 3 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 25 to 60 ft before dropping to 5 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Lower Niagara River mouth, an inflow / creek mouth in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in spring. Plan around after dark and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Lower Niagara River mouth (12 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Sharp break (24 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Lower Niagara River mouth (12 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Lower Niagara River mouth (12 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 20 to 45 ft one. The chart's best answer is Rock reef — rock pile, 10 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (10 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (10 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (13 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Sharp break (24 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore also holds walleye (15 to 35 ft in summer), yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer), landlocked salmon (25 to 60 ft in summer), white perch (15 to 40 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
47 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deepest basin, around 571 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: New York State DEC — Boat Launches (FishNY). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC — and special regulations can apply to Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore is about 584 ft (178 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, lake trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, landlocked salmon, white perch, rock bass on Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore.
Lower Niagara River mouth is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For chinook salmon, 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.
Fishing on Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore is regulated by the New York DEC. Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Niagara River (Lower) 24 mi · Martindale Pond 34 mi, ON · Lake Gibson 35 mi, ON · Lake Moodie 36 mi, ON · Lake Ontario - Toronto Waterfront 37 mi, ON · Grenadier Pond 45 mi, ON · Dils Lake 51 mi, ON · Simeon Lake 54 mi, ON · Staley Lake 54 mi, ON · Musselman Lake 54 mi, ON · Lazy Lake 54 mi, ON · Shadow Lake 55 mi, ON
See how Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best walleye lakes in New York · best yellow perch lakes in New York · best chinook salmon lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA hydrographic surveys. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.