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107-acre lake in Lanark County, Ontario. The lake tops out around 9 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The drawn water covers 108 acres wrapped in 2.1 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.4 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. End to end it runs roughly 0.7 mi, about 0.4 mi across. It sits in Lanark County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Fagan Lake, is 2 mi to the north.
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 2 to 9 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring northern pike on McGowan Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 3 to 9 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 9 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring smallmouth bass on McGowan Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 9 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 9 ft in summer, 3 to 9 ft once it turns cold. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 8 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (4 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Break off the point (4 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 9 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 9 ft; winter keeps them in 3 to 9 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Break off the point (4 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts pumpkinseed in skinny water — 1 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 9 ft, wintering in 3 to 9 ft. Spring pumpkinseed concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring brown bullhead on McGowan Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 9 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 9 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 8 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dusk | Deep basin (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Main-lake point at roughly 8 ft.
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 9 ft (3 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, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on McGowan Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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.
Fagan Lake 2 mi · Rainbow Lake 2 mi · Little Silver Lake 3 mi · Christie Lake 4 mi · Crains Lake 5 mi · O'Brien Lake 5 mi · Silver Lake 5 mi · Bennett Lake 6 mi · Farren Lake 6 mi · Rock Lake 6 mi · Lake of the Hills 6 mi · Crosby Lake 7 mi
See how McGowan Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Lanark County fishing maps (74 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.