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35,852-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 328 ft. The depth data here comes from a transect sounding survey by the Ontario MNRF. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Dog Lake maps at 36,016 acres behind 249.4 miles of shoreline, broken up by 164 islands. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 9.4) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. 31% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 16.9 mi, about 16.4 mi across. Thunder Bay District claims this one. If the bite dies, Greenhue Lake is 8 mi to the southeast.
Spring brook trout on Dog Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 20 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 9 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (8 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Rock reef (9 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Come spring, look for lake trout tight to the bank in 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 50 to 120 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Rock reef: a rock pile around 9 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (11 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep break (59 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (9 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (22 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake whitefish in 15 to 45 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 40 to 90 ft before dropping to 25 to 70 ft for winter. The spot to know is Rock reef, a rock pile in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in fall. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep break (59 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Rock reef (9 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (22 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. Summer walleye concentrate at Offshore hump, a prime-rated offshore hump around 22 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 | Rock reef (9 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (22 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 Weed flat, a weed flat in about 3 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 | Weed flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (22 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 Weed flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 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 | Weed flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Weed flat (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The chart marks 22 structure features on Dog Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 328 ft.
Access data: Land Information Ontario — Fishing Access Point. 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 Dog Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Dog Lake is about 328 ft (100 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from a transect sounding survey by the Ontario MNRF.
Anglers target brook trout, lake trout, lake whitefish, walleye, yellow perch, northern pike on Dog Lake. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species Ontario's MNRF recorded in the nearest surveyed lakes, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Rock reef is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For brook trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Dog 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.
Greenhue Lake 8 mi · Hawkeye Lake 9 mi · Little Dog Lake 10 mi · Wartman Lake 12 mi · Gutteridge Lake 12 mi · Mary Lake 12 mi · Island Lake 12 mi · Two Island Lake 12 mi · Eayrs Lake 13 mi · Halfway Lake 14 mi · Trout Lake 14 mi · Warnica Lake 16 mi
See how Dog Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Thunder Bay District fishing maps (662 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.