Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
981-acre lake in Cochrane District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 26 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 (an MNRF lake survey). The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Chin Lake maps at 981 acres behind 6.8 miles of shoreline. With a 1.6 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Call it 2.4 mi long by 1.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Cochrane District. Its nearest charted neighbour, Picker Lake, is 3 mi to the southeast.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: cisco (lake herring) in 7 to 26 ft. The depth story barely changes: 8 to 26 ft through summer, 8 to 26 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 20 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 7 to 26 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (20 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 8 to 26 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (1 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 26 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 26 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 20 ft, rated prime for winter walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. 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 | 8 to 26 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 26 ft | dusk & night | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 26 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 26 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 20 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. 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 | 8 to 26 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 1 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is 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 | Shallow feeding flat (18 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (18 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 |
Count 7 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 20 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 Chin Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Chin Lake is about 26 ft (8 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1971, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey).
Anglers target cisco (lake herring), walleye, yellow perch, northern pike on Chin Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For cisco (lake herring), 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 Chin 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.
Picker Lake 3 mi · Jackpine Lake 5 mi · T-Bone L. 6 mi · Potter L. 1 8 mi · Lady Lake 8 mi · Sangster Lake 8 mi · Terminal Lake 9 mi · Cabin Lake 10 mi · Potter Lake 10 mi · Lac La France 12 mi · Long Lake 12 mi · Mistango Lake 13 mi
See how Chin Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best cisco (lake herring) lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Cochrane District fishing maps (673 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps or 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.