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Fishing Lake Ontario - Toronto Waterfront: what the data says
47,370-acre section. The Toronto waterfront and Toronto Islands: a strong spring and fall salmon and trout troll, with pike, bass and panfish in the sheltered Inner Harbour and island lagoons. The lake tops out around 361 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Chinook Salmon fishing at Lake Ontario - Toronto Waterfront
Start shallow in spring: chinook salmon sit in 5 to 40 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 50 to 120 ft, and winter fish settle into 30 to 90 ft. Humber River mouth is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring chinook salmon. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| 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 - Toronto Waterfront
Spring coho salmon on Lake Ontario - Toronto Waterfront hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 30 to 70 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 60 ft. The spot to know is Humber River mouth, a inflow / creek mouth in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for coho salmon in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline gets it done.
| 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 - Toronto Waterfront
Spring steelhead on Lake Ontario - Toronto Waterfront hold shallow, usually 3 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 45 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 15 ft. Humber River mouth is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring steelhead. 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 |
Brown Trout fishing at Lake Ontario - Toronto Waterfront
Spring brown trout on Lake Ontario - Toronto Waterfront hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 60 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Humber River mouth, a inflow / creek mouth in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in spring. Best bite is after dark and early morning. 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) |
Lake Trout fishing at Lake Ontario - Toronto Waterfront
Start shallow in spring: lake trout sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Rock reef: a rock pile around 9 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| 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 Ontario - Toronto Waterfront
Spring smallmouth bass on Lake Ontario - Toronto Waterfront 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. The spot to know is Rock reef, a rock pile in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. 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 | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Lake Ontario - Toronto Waterfront also holds northern pike (8 to 20 ft in summer), yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 360 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 84 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 74 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 65 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 59 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 53 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 38 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 37 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 22 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 16 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 9 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 7 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 7 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Ontario - Toronto Waterfront?
Lake Ontario - Toronto Waterfront is about 361 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Lake Ontario - Toronto Waterfront?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, lake trout, brown trout on Lake Ontario - Toronto Waterfront.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Ontario - Toronto Waterfront?
Humber River mouth is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 7 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 - Toronto Waterfront?
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
Grenadier Pond · Bond Lake · Wilcox Lake · Preston Lake · Musselman Lake · Martindale Pond
See how Lake Ontario - Toronto Waterfront stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best chinook salmon lakes in Ontario
Browse all Ontario fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA hydrographic surveys. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.