How shallow… and when?

[The Baron]

We’re shore fishing and I found a spot that I thought might have promise.  It’s along the edge of a slight bay in Lake Ontario with a very long boulder shoreline/storm break.  A generic lake contour map showed a moderately steep slope there, out to 15-20ft. of water so I had dreams of being able to cast to that depth.  We visited it tonight and found what seems to be a limestone slab/rocky bottom out as far as we could cast a drop shot rig.  I’d estimate the water depth was no more than 4-5ft. at that distance, but we got bites right away and caught 6 little smallies (6-8”) in about 15 minutes.  So, worth some more investigation.  Water depth is about 1ft. near shore and the slope looks a lot more gradual than I was hoping.  Water temperature feels like a bath near shore - at least 80 deg, but I’m sure it gets cold pretty quickly out in the big lake.

 

I’ve heard experienced Lake O. smallmouth anglers saying they’ll come up into very shallow water on sunny days, to hunt by sight.  My Q is, how likely do you think that could happen in this spot, considering 20-30ft. of water is very close?  Maybe the right idea, but wrong time of the year?

Here’s the spot to give some idea what I’m talking about… (yes, I blotted out the street names. lol).  Depth contours are in metres - welcome to Canada, eh.

 

[TnRiver46]

Seems highly likely to me , my buddy got a nice one with a popper next to shore in 84 degree water yesterday  . They don’t have to be to deep if they don’t want to 

[cyclops2]

A cove like that is where schools of  big fish drive food into.  Keep checking it out at morning sundown & cloudy days. The big fish like to have the sun behind them.  As they drive food into that cove.

[The Baron]

Well, the biggies do come in there.  Caught a 3+ myself today, buddy missed a dandy blowup on a spook and my son crushed his PB with a 5lb7oz tank.?

 

Cloudy, light NE wind.  I think we’re onto a specific spot than produced all our big bites.

[MickD]

Good call, Baron.

 

[Junk Fisherman]

That spot sounds ideal especially when the wind is blowing on it.  And if it's cloudy and all of sudden the sun comes out, game on!  

[PaulVE64]

The spot on the spot

 

[The Baron]

1 hour ago, PaulVE64 said:

The spot on the spot

 

Yes, pretty much.  Identified about a 20yard long section where we cast out and several times got a decent bite almost right away.  To the left, right or closer in… tiny fish or nothing.

[Smalls]

On 8/27/2021 at 7:25 PM, The Baron said:

 My Q is, how likely do you think that could happen in this spot, considering 20-30ft. of water is very close?

That's not a negative thing, that's the key to it. They come up shallow to feed, then go back to their comfy spot