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Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
49-acre lake in Parry Sound District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 39 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
On the chart, McGowan Lake draws 49 acres inside 1.6 miles of shoreline. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.6) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Roughly 52% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 0.6 mi long by 0.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Parry Sound District. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Richmond Lake, 1 mi southwest of here.
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (33 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (33 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 12 to 39 ft for winter. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 12 to 39 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring rock bass on McGowan Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 5 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 30 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 10 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run the evening. The summer box starts with a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Spring pumpkinseed on McGowan Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. They move out to 2 to 10 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 18 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
McGowan Lake carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 33 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Ontario waters are set by the Ontario fishing regulations (FMZ summary) — and special regulations can apply to McGowan Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
McGowan Lake is about 39 ft (12 m) deep 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.
Anglers target yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, rock bass, pumpkinseed on McGowan Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For yellow perch, 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.
Fishing on McGowan Lake is regulated by the Ontario fishing regulations (FMZ summary). Check the official Ontario regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Richmond Lake 1 mi · Lovell Lake 1 mi · Oastler Lake 2 mi · Haines Lake 2 mi · Darlington's Lake 3 mi · Mill Lake 3 mi · Cochrane Lake 3 mi · Home Lake 3 mi · Tarver Lake 3 mi · McNutt Lake 3 mi · Sanagan Lake 3 mi · Vair Lake 3 mi
See how McGowan Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best rock bass lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Parry Sound District fishing maps (441 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.