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1,312-acre lake in Nipissing District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 72 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 1,320 acres wrapped in 25.1 miles of bank — 3 islands included. With a shoreline index of 4.9, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Roughly 61% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 2.5 mi end to end and 2.5 mi across at its widest. It sits in Nipissing District. Its nearest charted neighbour, Luckless Lake, is 2 mi to the west.
When the water first warms, brook trout slide up into 2 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 32 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (32 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (18 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Early season lake trout use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 22 to 72 ft, then a winter hold in 18 to 72 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 61 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 (18 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 22 to 72 ft | dawn | Deep basin (61 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (18 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 18 to 72 ft | dawn | Deep basin (61 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Spring puts lake whitefish in skinny water — 15 to 45 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 22 to 72 ft, wintering in 25 to 70 ft. Summer lake whitefish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 61 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (32 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 22 to 72 ft | dawn | Deep basin (61 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (18 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (61 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Spring puts cisco (lake herring) in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 22 to 72 ft, wintering in 20 to 60 ft. Summer cisco (lake herring) concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 61 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 | Break off the point (32 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 22 to 72 ft | dawn | Deep basin (61 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 (61 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
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 | Break off the point (32 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (32 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (32 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts pumpkinseed in skinny water — 1 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 10 ft, wintering in 6 to 18 ft. Spring pumpkinseed concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Catfish Lake also holds brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), burbot (22 to 72 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 61 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 Catfish Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Catfish Lake is about 72 ft (22 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 brook trout, lake trout, lake whitefish, cisco (lake herring), yellow perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, burbot on Catfish Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 61 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Catfish 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.
Luckless Lake 2 mi · Lynx Lake 2 mi · Calumet Lake 4 mi · Plumb Lake 4 mi · Cuckoo Lake 4 mi · Perley Lake 6 mi · Hogan Lake 6 mi · Carl Wilson Lake 6 mi · Cedar Lake 7 mi · Philip Lake 7 mi · Robinson Lake 7 mi · Charles Lake 8 mi
See how Catfish Lake stacks up: best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario · best brook trout lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Nipissing District fishing maps (683 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.