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509-acre lake in Rainy River District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 43 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Below Bow Lake maps at 508 acres behind 11.2 miles of shoreline. With a shoreline index of 3.5, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 65% of this chart, as modeled. Tip to tip the water measures near 2.9 mi with a 0.9-mi widest point. It sits in Rainy River District. Its nearest charted neighbour, Wasp Lake, is 2 mi to the northwest.
Early season lake trout use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 13 to 43 ft, then a winter hold in 11 to 43 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 37 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 13 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep basin (37 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 9 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 11 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (37 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Spring puts lake whitefish in skinny water — 13 to 43 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 13 to 43 ft, and winter fish hold in 13 to 43 ft. Summer lake whitefish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 37 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 13 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 13 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep basin (37 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 13 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (37 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 19 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (19 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (37 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (19 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (37 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (37 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring northern pike on Below Bow Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring smallmouth bass on Below Bow Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 13 to 43 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 11 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (19 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 13 to 43 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (19 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Below Bow Lake also holds burbot (13 to 43 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 6 structure features on Below Bow Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 37 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 Below Bow Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Below Bow Lake is about 43 ft (13 m) deep 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.
Anglers target lake trout, lake whitefish, walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, burbot on Below Bow Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 37 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 Below Bow 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.
Wasp Lake 2 mi · Highland Cr. 3 mi · Mae Lake 4 mi · Little Irene Lake 5 mi · Little Gull Lake 5 mi · East Hardtack Lake 5 mi · Hardtack Lake 6 mi · Bow L. 6 mi · 5PB17-82, L. 6 mi · Bethune Lake 6 mi · Little Sandford Lake 6 mi · Potts Lake 6 mi
See how Below Bow 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: Rainy River District fishing maps (257 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. 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.