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935-acre lake in Manitoulin District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 26 ft. The depth data here comes from an MNRF lake survey by the Ontario MNRF. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
On the chart, Big Lake draws 939 acres inside 5.8 miles of shoreline. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.4) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. End to end it runs roughly 1.9 mi, about 1.1 mi across. The water lies in Manitoulin District. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Mindemoya Lake, 6 mi west of here.
Early season walleye use the shallows, holding in 4 to 15 ft. Summer is an 8 to 26 ft game here, winter an 8 to 26 ft one. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 10 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 8 to 26 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (10 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 26 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (10 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring yellow perch on Big Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 26 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 26 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 8 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (8 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 26 ft | dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (8 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (8 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (8 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (8 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 26 ft, wintering in 8 to 26 ft. Winter smallmouth bass concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 10 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 8 to 26 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (10 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Break off the point (10 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 26 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (8 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Break off the point (10 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, rock bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 26 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 10 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. Keep a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (10 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Big Lake also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 18 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Big Lake is about 26 ft (8 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from an MNRF lake survey by the Ontario MNRF.
Anglers target walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Big Lake. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species Ontario's MNRF recorded in the nearest surveyed lakes, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and 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 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.
Mindemoya Lake 6 mi · Lake Manitou 6 mi · Lake Kagawong 13 mi · Lake Wolsey 22 mi · Georgian Bay - Manitoulin & Killarney Shore 23 mi · Harrow L. 28 26 mi · White's Lake 27 mi · Wright's Lake 27 mi · La Cloche Lake 27 mi · Elbow Lake 29 mi · Alexander Lake 29 mi · Florence Lake 30 mi
See how Big Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Manitoulin District fishing maps (10 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.