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569-acre lake in Cochrane District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 53 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Departure Lake maps at 571 acres behind 21.1 miles of shoreline. The 6.3 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Roughly 45% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 6.4 mi long by 0.9 mi wide at the broadest reach. Cochrane District claims this one. If the bite dies, Ouellet Lake is 3 mi to the north.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: cisco (lake herring) in 10 to 40 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 16 to 53 ft before dropping to 16 to 53 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 45 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. 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 | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (45 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 16 to 53 ft | dawn | Deep basin (45 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (24 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 16 to 53 ft | dawn | Deep basin (45 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
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. Fall walleye concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 24 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 (13 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (24 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (24 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (24 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 Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. 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 (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (24 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (24 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (24 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 6 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 (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for burbot tight to the bank in 16 to 53 ft. Through summer count on 16 to 53 ft; the winter hold is 13 to 53 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 45 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is after dark and midday. A heavy jig + cut bait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 16 to 53 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (45 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 16 to 53 ft | night & midday | Deep basin (45 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 16 to 53 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (45 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 13 to 53 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (45 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
15 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 45 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Geospatial Ontario - Fishing Access Points. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 Departure Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Departure Lake is about 53 ft (16 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 cisco (lake herring), walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, burbot on Departure Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 45 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Departure 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.
Ouellet Lake 3 mi · Sand L. 6 mi · Star L. 6 mi · Shackleton Lake 7 mi · Whitefish L. 7 mi · Big Indian L. 8 mi · Carmichael Lake 9 mi · Watersnake Lake 10 mi · Legault's L. 10 mi · Alvin L. 12 mi · Price L. 12 mi · Muskrat Lake 15 mi
See how Departure Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best burbot lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Cochrane District fishing maps (673 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.