Lake depth chart
Today's read
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
170-acre lake in Muskoka District Municipality, Ontario. The lake tops out around 98 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). Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Traced from the shoreline, Clearwater Lake runs 171 acres with 4.8 miles of edge, broken up by an island. An index of 2.6 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. 69% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 1.1 mi end to end and 0.5 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Muskoka District Municipality. The nearest mapped water is Riley Lake, 3 mi to the northeast.
Start shallow in spring: lake trout sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 29 to 98 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 80 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 80 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 29 to 98 ft | dawn | Deep basin (80 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (2 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, cisco (lake herring) slide up into 10 to 40 ft. Summer is a 40 to 80 ft game here, winter a 20 to 60 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 80 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (80 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (80 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (80 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Spring yellow perch on Clearwater Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down 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. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| 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 (5 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (80 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts smallmouth bass 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 20 to 45 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 1 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, rock bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 5 to 20 ft game here, winter a 12 to 30 ft one. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run the evening. Keep a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Clearwater Lake also holds pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 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 80 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 Clearwater Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Clearwater Lake is about 98 ft (30 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 lake trout, cisco (lake herring), yellow perch, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Clearwater 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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Clearwater 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.
Riley Lake 3 mi · Kahshe Lake 4 mi · Bass Lake 5 mi · Three Mile Lake 6 mi · Ben Lake 6 mi · Buck Lake 7 mi · Cornall Lake 7 mi · Silver Lake 7 mi · Sparrow Lake 8 mi · Fawn Lake 8 mi · Sunny Lake 8 mi · Barkway Lake 8 mi
See how Clearwater Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass 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 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.