Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Root River
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Root River: what the data says
18-acre lake near Ontario. The lake tops out around 3 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.
Brook Trout fishing at Root River
Spring brook trout on Root River hold shallow, usually 1 to 3 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 3 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 3 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for brook trout in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dawn | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Root River
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 1 to 3 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 1 to 3 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 3 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 1 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Chinook Salmon fishing at Root River
In spring, chinook salmon run shallow here, mostly 1 to 3 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 3 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 3 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for summer chinook salmon. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Coho Salmon fishing at Root River
Start shallow in spring: coho salmon sit in 1 to 3 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 1 to 3 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 3 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 3 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Small spoon, slow troll |
Walleye fishing at Root River
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 1 to 3 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 1 to 3 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 3 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 1 ft that scores prime in fall. 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 | 1 to 3 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Root River
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 1 to 3 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 1 to 3 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 3 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 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 | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Root River also holds smallmouth bass (1 to 3 ft in summer), rock bass (1 to 3 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (1 to 3 ft in summer), brown bullhead (1 to 3 ft in summer), lake sturgeon (1 to 3 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 3 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 1 ft
Common questions
How deep is Root River?
Root River is about 3 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 Root River?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, rainbow trout, yellow perch, chinook salmon, coho salmon, brook trout, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, lake sturgeon on Root River.
Where is the best fishing spot on Root River?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Root River?
For brook trout, 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
Little Lake George · Syrette Lake · Mabel Lake · Crystal Lake · St. Joe Lake · Trout Lake
See how Root River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best walleye lakes in Ontario · best rainbow trout lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario
Browse all Ontario fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.