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Fishing Mainville Lake: what the data says
2,648-acre lake near Ontario. The lake tops out around 33 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Lake Whitefish fishing at Mainville Lake
Start shallow in spring: lake whitefish sit in 10 to 33 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 10 to 33 ft, and winter fish hold in 10 to 33 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 28 ft, rated prime for summer lake whitefish. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 10 to 33 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 10 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Mainville Lake
Start shallow in spring: cisco (lake herring) sit in 8 to 33 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 10 to 33 ft, and winter fish hold in 10 to 33 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 28 ft, rated prime for spring cisco (lake herring). Plan around early morning in the warm months. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 33 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 10 to 33 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 10 to 33 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Walleye fishing at Mainville Lake
Spring walleye on Mainville Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 33 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 33 ft. The spot to know is Gravel shoal, a gravel shoal in about 6.683877832543771 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 10 to 33 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 33 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 10 to 33 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Mainville Lake
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 10 to 33 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| 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 | 10 to 33 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 10 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Mainville Lake
Spring northern pike on Mainville Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Mainville Lake
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 33 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 8 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 10 to 33 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Mainville Lake also holds rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 28 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 15 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 11.679563361785313 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 6.683877832543771 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 4.444282236421275 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 4.275487172797657 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 3.127345879762508 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2.941719596176004 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2.811555487106786 ft
Common questions
How deep is Mainville Lake?
Mainville Lake is about 33 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 Mainville Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, lake whitefish, rock bass, cisco (lake herring) on Mainville Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Mainville Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 28 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Mainville Lake?
For lake whitefish, 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
Obikoba Lake · Cuttle Lake · Hickerson Lake · Strong Lake · Weller Lake · Poulson Lake
See how Mainville Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario
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