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Fishing Van Nostrand Lake: what the data says
597-acre lake near Ontario. The lake tops out around 76 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.
Lake Trout fishing at Van Nostrand Lake
In spring, lake trout run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 23 to 76 ft, and winter fish settle into 19 to 76 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 65 ft, rated prime for summer lake trout. Best bite is 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 23 to 76 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 19 to 76 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Lake Whitefish fishing at Van Nostrand Lake
Spring lake whitefish on Van Nostrand Lake hold shallow, usually 15 to 45 ft. They move out to 23 to 76 ft in summer and finish the year down in 25 to 70 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 65 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 23 to 76 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Yellow Perch fishing at Van Nostrand Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| 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 Van Nostrand Lake
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| 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 |
Burbot fishing at Van Nostrand Lake
Spring burbot on Van Nostrand Lake hold shallow, usually 25 to 70 ft. By summer they slide out to 23 to 76 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 60 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 65 ft, rated prime for spring burbot. Best bite is after dark and midday. Summer baits: a heavy jig + cut bait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 23 to 76 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 23 to 76 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 65 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 34 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 19 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 19 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Van Nostrand Lake?
Van Nostrand Lake is about 76 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 Van Nostrand Lake?
Anglers target northern pike, yellow perch, lake trout, lake whitefish, burbot on Van Nostrand Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Van Nostrand Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 65 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Van Nostrand Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Old Man Lake · Gargoyle Lake · Hematite Lake · Richardson Lake · Chill L. · Keewatin Lake
See how Van Nostrand Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario
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