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4,355-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 110 ft. The depth data here comes from a transect sounding survey by the Ontario MNRF. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Athelstane Lake runs 4,375 acres with 28.3 miles of edge — 25 islands included. With a shoreline index of 3.1, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 32% of this chart. The basin spans about 5.7 mi end to end and 2.4 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Thunder Bay District. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Argon Lake, 4 mi northeast of here.
Spring puts lake trout in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 33 to 110 ft, wintering in 20 to 80 ft. Summer lake trout concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 109 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (20 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 33 to 110 ft | dawn | Deep basin (109 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline point (20 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Sharp break (20 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Early season lake whitefish use the shallows, holding in 15 to 45 ft. Expect a summer slide to 40 to 90 ft, then a winter hold in 25 to 70 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 17 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep basin (109 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (17 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (20 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Early season cisco (lake herring) use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 40 to 80 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 60 ft. Put Sharp break first on the milk run — a drop-off near 20 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (17 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (109 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Sharp break (20 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 15 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 17 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (17 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Sharp break (20 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 17 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (17 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (17 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Athelstane Lake also holds smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), burbot (33 to 110 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 10 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 109 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Ontario waters are set by the Ontario fishing regulations (FMZ summary) — and special regulations can apply to Athelstane Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Athelstane Lake is about 110 ft (34 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from a transect sounding survey by the Ontario MNRF.
Anglers target lake trout, lake whitefish, cisco (lake herring), walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, burbot on Athelstane Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 109 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
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.
Fishing on Athelstane Lake is regulated by the Ontario fishing regulations (FMZ summary). Check the official Ontario regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Argon Lake 4 mi · Gessie Lake 6 mi · Savanne Lake 6 mi · Amp Lake 9 mi · Shebandowan Lakes 9 mi · Kashabowie Lake 9 mi · Camp Lake 10 mi · Dexter Lake 10 mi · Home Lake 11 mi · Lower Shebandowan Lake 12 mi · Loch Smith 12 mi · Loch Erne 13 mi
See how Athelstane Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Thunder Bay District fishing maps (662 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.