Lake depth chart
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89-acre lake in Haliburton County, Ontario. The lake tops out around 50 ft. The depth chart comes from Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1971, a decades-old survey (a transect sounding survey). Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Traced from the shoreline, Bivouac Lake runs 89 acres with 2.3 miles of edge, with 4 islands in the mix. Index 1.7 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 48% of this chart. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.7 mi with a 0.3-mi widest point. The water lies in Haliburton County. The nearest mapped water is Wildcat Lake, 1 mi to the northwest.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brook trout in 2 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 3 to 20 ft for winter. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for brook trout in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (1 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (1 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake trout in 10 to 40 ft. As the season builds they drop to 15 to 50 ft, wintering in 13 to 50 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 50 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
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 (1 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep basin (50 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 13 to 50 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (50 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 1 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| 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 (1 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (1 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 1 ft, rated good for spring smallmouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (1 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (50 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Come spring, look for pumpkinseed tight to the bank in 1 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 2 to 10 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 18 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 1 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: brown bullhead sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for brown bullhead in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | open water |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 50 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 Bivouac Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Bivouac Lake is about 50 ft (15 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1971, a decades-old survey (a transect sounding survey).
Anglers target brook trout, lake trout, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Bivouac 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.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 50 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For brook trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Bivouac 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.
Wildcat Lake 1 mi · Nugget Lake 2 mi · Depot Lake 3 mi · Raddan Lake 3 mi · South Wildcat Lake 3 mi · Rainbow Lake 4 mi · Frost Lake 4 mi · West Galipo Lake 4 mi · Upper Redstone Lake 4 mi · South Galipo Lake 5 mi · Wolf Lake 5 mi · Eyre Lake 5 mi
See how Bivouac Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario · best brook trout lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Haliburton County fishing maps (295 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.