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Fishing Westphal Lake: what the data says
32-acre lake near Ontario. The lake tops out around 36 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Westphal Lake
Spring cisco (lake herring) on Westphal Lake hold shallow, usually 9 to 36 ft. Summer fish stay in 11 to 36 ft, and winter fish hold in 11 to 36 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 31 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 9 to 36 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 11 to 36 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 11 to 36 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Northern Pike fishing at Westphal 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 4 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 Westphal Lake
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 11 to 36 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. 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 | 11 to 36 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Westphal Lake
Spring largemouth bass on Westphal Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Pumpkinseed fishing at Westphal Lake
Start shallow in spring: pumpkinseed sit in 1 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 2 to 10 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 18 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) covers the summer program.
| 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 31 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 16 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 9 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
Common questions
How deep is Westphal Lake?
Westphal Lake is about 36 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 Westphal Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, cisco (lake herring), pumpkinseed on Westphal Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Westphal Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 31 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Westphal Lake?
For cisco (lake herring), 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
Vicary Lake · Speyer Lake · Spider Lake · Canoe Lake · Sanagan Lake · McCoy Lake
See how Westphal Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best cisco (lake herring) lakes in Ontario
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