Lake depth chart
Today's read
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
186-acre lake in Kenora District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 49 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 188 acres wrapped in 4.7 miles of bank. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 2.5) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. About 69% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.7 mi with a 0.4-mi widest point. It sits in Kenora District. Its nearest charted neighbour, Balmoral River, is 1 mi to the east.
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.
| 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 (22 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (22 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (42 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| 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 |
Spring burbot on Elbow Lake hold shallow, usually 15 to 49 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 15 to 49 ft in summer, 12 to 49 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 42 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in after dark and midday. The summer box starts with a heavy jig + cut bait.
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 49 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (42 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 15 to 49 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | Deep basin (42 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 15 to 49 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (42 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 12 to 49 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (42 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Elbow Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 42 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 Elbow Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Elbow Lake is about 49 ft (15 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 yellow perch, northern pike, burbot on Elbow Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Elbow 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.
Balmoral River 1 mi · WE86-09, L. 2 mi · Roberts Lake 3 mi · Greenheart Lake 3 mi · Pop Lake 3 mi · Balmoral Lake 4 mi · McNamara Lake 4 mi · Belmont L. 4 mi · Horseshoe Lake 4 mi · Clear L. 4 mi · Lower Moosehide Lake 5 mi · Little Long L. 5 mi
See how Elbow Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best burbot lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Kenora District fishing maps (1173 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.