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Fishing Niven Lake: what the data says
696-acre lake near Ontario. The lake tops out around 108 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 Trout fishing at Niven Lake
Spring lake trout on Niven Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 32 to 108 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 92 ft, rated prime for summer lake trout. Plan around early morning in the warm months. 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 | 32 to 108 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 |
Yellow Perch fishing at Niven Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Niven Lake
Spring northern pike on Niven Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. 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 |
Pumpkinseed fishing at Niven Lake
In spring, pumpkinseed run shallow here, mostly 1 to 8 ft. They move out to 2 to 10 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 18 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring pumpkinseed. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Tie on a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Burbot fishing at Niven Lake
Start shallow in spring: burbot sit in 25 to 70 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 32 to 108 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 60 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 92 ft, rated prime for summer burbot. Best bite is after dark and midday. Tie on a heavy jig + cut bait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 32 to 108 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 92 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 49 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 27 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 27 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Niven Lake?
Niven Lake is about 108 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 Niven Lake?
Anglers target northern pike, yellow perch, lake trout, burbot, pumpkinseed on Niven Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Niven Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 92 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Niven Lake?
For lake trout, 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
Flora Lake · Banning Lake · McCaulay Lake · Chub Lake · Factor Lake · Miranda Lake
See how Niven Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario · best burbot lakes in Ontario
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