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1,266-acre lake in Rainy River District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 89 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The drawn water covers 1,291 acres wrapped in 27.4 miles of bank, with 10 islands in the mix. A development index of 5.4 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 71% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 3.5 mi, about 1.7 mi across. It sits in Rainy River District. Its nearest charted neighbour, Turtle Lake, is 6 mi to the northeast.
Come spring, look for lake trout tight to the bank in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 27 to 89 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 80 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 76 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 27 to 89 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep basin (76 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (76 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake whitefish in 15 to 45 ft. As the season builds they drop to 27 to 89 ft, wintering in 25 to 70 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 76 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (40 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 27 to 89 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep basin (76 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (76 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: cisco (lake herring) in 10 to 40 ft. As the season builds they drop to 40 to 80 ft, wintering in 20 to 60 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 76 ft range, prime in summer. 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 | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (40 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (76 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Break off the point (40 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 15 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 40 ft, rated prime for fall 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 | open water | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (40 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (40 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 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. 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 (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (40 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (40 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 6 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 (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 |
Dovetail Lake also holds smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), burbot (27 to 89 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 76 ft.
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 Dovetail Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Dovetail Lake is about 89 ft (27 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 lake trout, lake whitefish, cisco (lake herring), walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, burbot on Dovetail Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 76 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Dovetail 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.
Turtle Lake 6 mi · Williamson Lake 7 mi · Holmes Lake 8 mi · Nevison Lake 8 mi · Dragon Lake 8 mi · Calm Lake 8 mi · Niven Lake 8 mi · Style Lake 8 mi · Another Lake 9 mi · Clearwater West Lake 9 mi · Knight Lake 9 mi · Roscoe Lake 9 mi
See how Dovetail Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Rainy River District fishing maps (257 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps. 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.