Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
34-acre lake in Haliburton County, Ontario. The lake tops out around 50 ft. The depth data here comes from a transect sounding survey by the Ontario MNRF. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Portage Lake maps at 34 acres behind 1.3 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.6) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Roughly 61% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 0.5 mi long by 0.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Haliburton County. Loon Lake sits 1 mi northeast — the closest neighbouring chart.
Early season lake trout use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 50 ft, then a winter hold in 13 to 50 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 48 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (9 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | dawn | Deep basin (48 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (9 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 13 to 50 ft | dawn | Deep basin (48 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 25 ft, rated prime for summer 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 | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (25 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (25 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (25 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring smallmouth bass on Portage Lake 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. Put Secondary point first on the milk run — a point near 9 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 | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (25 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (9 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (25 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 5 ft, prime for fall. 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 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (9 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (25 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts rock bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 20 ft, wintering in 12 to 30 ft. Summer rock bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 5 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening. A ned rig (small) or a marabou jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Secondary point (9 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | midday | Break off the point (25 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Spring puts pumpkinseed in skinny water — 1 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 10 ft, wintering in 6 to 18 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 | open water | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | open water | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Portage Lake carries 4 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 48 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 Portage Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Portage Lake is about 50 ft (15 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from a transect sounding survey by the Ontario MNRF.
Anglers target lake trout, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, pumpkinseed on Portage Lake. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species Ontario's MNRF recorded in the nearest surveyed lakes, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 48 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Portage 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.
Loon Lake 1 mi · Minnicock Lake 1 mi · Black Lake 2 mi · Little Dudmon Lake 2 mi · Stormy Lake 2 mi · South Portage Lake 3 mi · Little Glamor Lake 3 mi · Long Lake 3 mi · Leaf Lake 3 mi · Haas Lake 3 mi · Blue Hawk Lake 3 mi · Glamor Lake 3 mi
See how Portage Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Haliburton County fishing maps (295 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.