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Fishing South Spruce Lake: what the data says
261-acre lake near Ontario. The lake tops out around 40 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.
Yellow Perch fishing at South Spruce Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Best bite is 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 South Spruce Lake
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Best bite is 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 | 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 |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at South Spruce Lake
Spring smallmouth bass on South Spruce Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 12 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. 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 | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Pumpkinseed fishing at South Spruce Lake
Start shallow in spring: pumpkinseed sit in 1 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 10 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 18 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring pumpkinseed. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) gets it done.
| 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 |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 34 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 18 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 10 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 10 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Common questions
How deep is South Spruce Lake?
South Spruce Lake is about 40 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 South Spruce Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, pumpkinseed on South Spruce Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on South Spruce Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish South Spruce Lake?
For yellow perch, 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
Hammell Lake · North Spruce Lake · Poplar Lake · Gooderham Lake · Noble Lake · Otter Lake
See how South Spruce Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best pumpkinseed lakes in Ontario
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