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Fishing Rideau Canal (Ottawa): what the data says
The UNESCO Rideau Canal through downtown Ottawa - from the Ottawa River locks up past Dow's Lake to Hartwell Locks and Hog's Back. Urban bass, pike, walleye and slab panfish. The river tops out around 16 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.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Rideau Canal (Ottawa)
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 16 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 16 ft. Dow's Lake weed flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Rideau Canal (Ottawa)
Spring smallmouth bass on Rideau Canal (Ottawa) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 5 to 16 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 16 ft. Riffle & run (mile 0.2) is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring smallmouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Northern Pike fishing at Rideau Canal (Ottawa)
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They move out to 5 to 16 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Dow's Lake weed flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. 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 | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Walleye fishing at Rideau Canal (Ottawa)
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 16 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 16 ft. Riffle & run (mile 0.2) is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Bluegill fishing at Rideau Canal (Ottawa)
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 16 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Dow's Lake weed flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Rideau Canal (Ottawa)
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 5 to 16 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 16 ft. The spot to know is Hartwell Locks channel, a creek channel in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Rideau Canal (Ottawa) also holds yellow perch (5 to 16 ft in summer), channel catfish (5 to 16 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Hartwell Locks channel: creek channel, around 12 ft
- Dow's Lake docks: dock line, around 10 ft
- Dow's Lake weed flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Riffle & run (mile 0.2): rock pile, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Rideau Canal (Ottawa)?
Rideau Canal (Ottawa) is about 16 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 Rideau Canal (Ottawa)?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, yellow perch on Rideau Canal (Ottawa).
Where is the best fishing spot on Rideau Canal (Ottawa)?
Dow's Lake weed flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Rideau Canal (Ottawa)?
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Ottawa River - Ottawa/Gatineau · Constance Lake · Mississippi Lake · Cranberry Lake · Bacchus Mud Lake · Atkins Lake
See how Rideau Canal (Ottawa) stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario
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