Where to find what baitfish are in a lake?

[Tjames09]

The Ontario website (fishonline) doesn’t say what bait fish are in lakes, only the larger fish.

 

im looking to find out what type of minnow type of fish are in lakes. Like gobys, shiners, shad, etc.

 

i know I can see what type of panfish are in the fishonline site. I’ve never seen shad in the lakes I fish but wondering if they’re their. 

[OhioFisherman]

Just my opinion, if you have never seen a shad die off at a lake you fish regularly? there are probably none in it. We don't have threadfin shad this far north in Ohio, gizzard shad only, and all the lakes they are in have partial die offs. Your laws up there have changed over the years, any baitfish a bait store sold may be in your waters?

The only way to be sure about the type of bait fish would be to fish for them or net them, but watch your laws! Every shad I have ever caught here was accidentally snagged.

[OhioFisherman]

http://www.ontariofishes.ca/fish_detail.php?FID=16

If that helps?

[Tjames09]

1 hour ago, OhioFisherman said:

Just my opinion, if you have never seen a shad die off at a lake you fish regularly? there are probably none in it. We don't have threadfin shad this far north in Ohio, gizzard shad only, and all the lakes they are in have partial die offs. Your laws up there have changed over the years, any baitfish a bait store sold may be in your waters?

The only way to be sure about the type of bait fish would be to fish for them or net them, but watch your laws! Every shad I have ever caught here was accidentally snagged.

Thanks, ya i did a bit of searching, I didnt know shad couldnt live below 45* water. So definitely not going to have them. 

[OhioFisherman]

http://ontariofishes.ca/fish_list.php

It's a bit of a hassle, but if you go down the list and pick out a known baitfish it will give you it's range.

[Chuck Enwinde]

Depending on the area and the lake - some of it is on line - anything in Muskoka for instance..  If the lake happens to be part of the broad scale monitoring program, you can find it that way.  Other than that, send a note to the local MNR office.  Might take some time but in my experience they'll send you what info they have. 

[BillM]

Use the Muskoka water web, look up the Lake fact data sheets.  Hopefully it's listed.