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Reopens January 1 · FMZ 15 zone-wide season. Lake-specific exceptions and sanctuaries can differ — check the official summary before you go.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
101-acre lake in Muskoka District Municipality, Ontario. The lake tops out around 88 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 1975, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey). Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The drawn water covers 101 acres wrapped in 2.3 miles of bank. A middling shoreline index (1.6) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. About 79% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Figure 0.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.4 mi at the beam. Muskoka District Municipality claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Hardup Lake, is 1 mi to the east.
Spring lake trout on Buck Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 26 to 88 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 80 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger.
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 | 26 to 88 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep basin (80 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 | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (80 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 5 to 20 ft. Summer is an 8 to 30 ft game here, winter an 8 to 40 ft one. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 1 ft of water and rates good come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | open water | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 1 ft, rated good for spring yellow perch. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.
| 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 | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 45 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 1 ft that grades good for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| 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 | Main-lake 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 | open water | Blade bait, Hair jig |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 80 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 Buck Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Buck Lake is about 88 ft (27 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1975, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey).
Anglers target lake trout, rainbow trout, yellow perch, smallmouth bass on Buck Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 80 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each 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 Buck 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.
Hardup Lake 1 mi · Solitaire Lake 1 mi · Crotch Lake 1 mi · Little Clear L. 1 mi · Eighteen Mile Lake 1 mi · Turtle L. 1 mi · Split Rock Lake 1 mi · Seventeen Mile Lake 2 mi · Upper Oxbow Lake 2 mi · Eastell Lake 2 mi · Burns Lake 2 mi · Loon Lake 2 mi
See how Buck Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best rainbow trout lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Muskoka District Municipality fishing maps (276 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Depth data: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Lake survey data (Open Government Licence – Ontario). 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.