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Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
1,282-acre lake in Parry Sound District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 195 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The drawn water covers 1,291 acres wrapped in 18.7 miles of bank, with 3 islands in the mix. The 3.7 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 32% of this chart, as modeled. Call it 4.9 mi long by 1.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Parry Sound District. If the bite dies, Little Long Lake is 3 mi to the south.
Early season lake trout use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 50 to 120 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 80 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 88 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (49 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Break off the point (88 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (49 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Break off the point (88 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Spring puts cisco (lake herring) in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 40 to 80 ft, wintering in 20 to 60 ft. Spring cisco (lake herring) concentrate at Deep basin, a good-rated deep basin around 166 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (166 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (166 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (166 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
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: Main-lake point, a point in the 49 ft range, good 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 | open water | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (88 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Main-lake point (49 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (166 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 6 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 (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (166 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (166 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring smallmouth bass on Big Caribou Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 49 ft that grades good 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (88 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (49 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (88 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts rock bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 20 ft, wintering in 12 to 30 ft. Summer rock bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a good-rated point around 49 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening. A ned rig (small) or a marabou jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (49 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (88 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (166 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Big Caribou Lake also holds pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 7 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 166 ft.
Access data: Geospatial Ontario - Fishing Access Points. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 Big Caribou Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Big Caribou Lake is about 195 ft (59 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, cisco (lake herring), walleye, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rock bass, pumpkinseed on Big Caribou Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Big Caribou 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.
Little Long Lake 3 mi · Toad Lake 3 mi · Little Etta Lake 4 mi · Wolf Lake 4 mi · Wauquimakog Lake 4 mi · Simms Lake 5 mi · Duck Lake 6 mi · Dollars Lake 7 mi · Windy Lake 7 mi · Bain Lake 7 mi · Seagull Lake 7 mi · Memesagamesing Lake 7 mi
See how Big Caribou Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best walleye lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Parry Sound District fishing maps (441 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps or 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.