Lake Ontario — Niagara Bar and Western Shore Fishing Map & Depth Chart (NY)

Fishing Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore: what the data says

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 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.

Chinook Salmon fishing at Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore

Spring chinook salmon on Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore hold shallow, usually 5 to 40 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 50 to 120 ft, and winter fish settle into 30 to 90 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Lower Niagara River mouth: a inflow / creek mouth around 12 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards
Summer	50 to 120 ft	dawn & dusk	Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger
Fall	10 to 50 ft	dawn & dusk	J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly
Winter	30 to 90 ft	midday	Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep

Coho Salmon fishing at Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore

In spring, coho salmon run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 30 to 70 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 60 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Lower Niagara River mouth: a inflow / creek mouth around 12 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver)
Summer	30 to 70 ft	dawn & dusk	Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline
Fall	8 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse)
Winter	20 to 60 ft	midday	Small spoon, slow troll

Steelhead fishing at Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore

Start shallow in spring: steelhead sit in 3 to 20 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 5 to 45 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Lower Niagara River mouth: a inflow / creek mouth around 12 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float
Summer	5 to 45 ft	dawn & dusk	Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards
Fall	5 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon
Winter	4 to 15 ft	midday	Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig

Lake Trout fishing at Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore

In spring, lake trout run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 50 to 120 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. The spot to know is Rock reef, a rock pile in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in fall. 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

Brown Trout fishing at Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore

In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 35 ft. Lower Niagara River mouth is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for spring brown trout. Plan around after dark and early morning in the warm months. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines
Summer	25 to 60 ft	night & dawn	Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night)
Fall	5 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon
Winter	5 to 35 ft	dawn	Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow)

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore

Spring smallmouth bass on Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. Rock reef is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for spring smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.

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 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.

Notable structure

Deepest basin: deep basin, around 571 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 441 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 393 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 375 ft
Deep hole: deep basin, around 344 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 196 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 188 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 185 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 154 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 134 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 106 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 106 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 94 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 60 ft

Common questions

How deep is Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore?

Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore is about 584 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 Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore?

Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, lake trout, brown trout, landlocked salmon, rock bass, white perch on Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore?

Lower Niagara River mouth is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lake Ontario - Niagara Bar and Western Shore?

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.

Nearby waters

Niagara River (Lower) · Conesus Lake · Cuba Lake · Lake Ontario - Rochester Shore · Hemlock Lake · Lake Erie - Eastern Basin

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 every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.

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