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.
38-acre lake in Parry Sound District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 7 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 1978, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey). What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The drawn water covers 39 acres wrapped in 2.1 miles of bank. An index of 2.4 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. End to end it runs roughly 0.8 mi, about 0.2 mi across. It sits in Parry Sound District. Mary Jane Lake sits 1 mi south — the closest neighbouring chart.
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 2 to 7 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 7 ft covers summer, 2 to 7 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 6 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 | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn | Deep basin (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (6 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 7 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 7 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 7 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 7 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 7 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 7 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 7 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 1 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (1 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Break off the point (1 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 1 to 7 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 7 ft, winter 2 to 7 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 1 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Break off the point (1 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: pumpkinseed in 1 to 7 ft. The depth story barely changes: 1 to 7 ft through summer, 2 to 7 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 1 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 7 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 1 to 7 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | dawn | Deep basin (6 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, brown bullhead slide up into 2 to 7 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 7 ft, winter 2 to 7 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 6 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 7 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 7 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 7 ft | dusk | Deep basin (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 7 ft | midday | Deep basin (6 ft) |
Cooks L. carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 6 ft down.
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 Cooks L. specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Cooks L. is about 7 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1978, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey).
Anglers target yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Cooks L..
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For yellow perch, 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 Cooks L. 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.
Mary Jane Lake 1 mi · Moffat Lake 2 mi · Ryan Lake 2 mi · Manson Lake 2 mi · Oliver Lake 3 mi · McEwen Lake 3 mi · Armstrong Lake 3 mi · Limestone Lake 4 mi · McKellar Lake 4 mi · Fairholme Lake 4 mi · Manitouwabing Lake 4 mi · Grey Owl Lake 4 mi
See how Cooks L. stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Parry Sound District fishing maps (441 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.