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Fishing Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau: what the data says
The Ottawa River through the National Capital - wide walleye and musky water in Lac Deschenes above the city, down past the Deschenes and Chaudiere rapids. Trophy muskie, walleye, pike, smallmouth and channel cats. The river tops out around 75 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Walleye fishing at Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. Kettle Island point is the standout, a point at roughly 18 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. 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 | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Muskellunge fishing at Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau
In spring, muskellunge run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. Lac Deschenes grass flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring muskellunge. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Tie on a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau
Spring smallmouth bass on Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Kettle Island point, a point in about 18 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 | 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 |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau
Spring largemouth bass on Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Lac Deschenes grass flat, a weed flat in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Northern Pike fishing at Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau
Spring northern pike on Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Lac Deschenes grass flat: a weed flat around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| 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 |
Channel Catfish fishing at Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau
Spring channel catfish on Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Deschenes Rapids current seam, a creek channel in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in fall. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday |
Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau also holds yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer), crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), white bass (8 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Main-channel hole (mile 3.1): creek channel, around 60 ft
- Main-channel hole (mile 11.7): creek channel, around 60 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 9.9): creek channel, around 56 ft
- Chaudiere tailwater: creek channel, around 45 ft
- Current seam (mile 4.9): current seam, around 41 ft
- Current seam (mile 8.0): current seam, around 41 ft
- Slackwater eddy (mile 17.9): eddy pocket, around 41 ft
- Channel current seam (mile 13.6): current seam, around 38 ft
- Deschenes Rapids current seam: creek channel, around 30 ft
- Kettle Island point: point, around 18 ft
- Lac Deschenes grass flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
- Britannia bar: offshore hump, around 8 ft
Common questions
How deep is Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau?
Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau is about 75 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 Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white bass, northern pike, crappie, channel catfish, muskellunge, yellow perch on Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau.
Where is the best fishing spot on Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau?
Kettle Island point is the top-rated area: a point in about 18 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau?
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and 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
Rideau Canal (Ottawa) · Constance Lake · Mississippi Lake · Cranberry Lake · Bacchus Mud Lake · Atkins Lake
See how Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best walleye lakes in Ontario · best white bass lakes in Ontario
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