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352-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 54 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 1957, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey). Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Chief Peter Lake maps at 354 acres behind 8.8 miles of shoreline. The 3.3 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 94% of this chart. The basin spans about 2.6 mi end to end and 0.5 mi across at its widest. Thunder Bay District claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Edar Lake, is 3 mi to the northeast.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake whitefish in 15 to 45 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 16 to 54 ft before dropping to 16 to 54 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 33 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon 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 | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (2 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 16 to 54 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep basin (33 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (2 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 16 to 54 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (33 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 15 to 35 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Winter walleye concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 33 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (33 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Deep basin (33 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (33 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 33 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 | Deep basin (33 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (33 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (33 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 15 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 early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (2 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The chart marks 6 structure features on Chief Peter Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 33 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 Chief Peter Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Chief Peter Lake is about 54 ft (16 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1957, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey).
Anglers target lake whitefish, walleye, yellow perch, northern pike on Chief Peter Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 33 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For lake whitefish, 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 Chief Peter 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.
Edar Lake 3 mi · Burnt Island Lake 3 mi · Union Lake 4 mi · Brûlé Lake 5 mi · Windigoostigwan Lake 6 mi · Elbow Lake 6 mi · Bedivere Lake 7 mi · Baril Lake 7 mi · Nydia Lake 8 mi · Arbour Lake 9 mi · Mercutio Lake 9 mi · Crooked Pine Lake 9 mi
See how Chief Peter Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Thunder Bay District fishing maps (662 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.