Elephant Head Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (ON)

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Lake depth chart

Elephant Head Lake, ON

Max 62 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Hopper & ant season (windward banks) window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Hopper & ant season (windward banks)Active window

Typical here: Jul 1 – Sep 15 · hoppers peak July–August; winged-ant falls show up on warm humid afternoons — a wind event, not a hatch

adultwarm, breezy afternoons, roughly 1–5pm — slap the imitation down hard — the splat is the trigger — then wait; count to three after the rise before setting

Work the windward bank on breezy summer afternoons — that's where the food is. Casting-bubble-and-hopper is the direct translation; otherwise run small topwaters and inline spinners tight along the grass edges and blowdown banks in the afternoon warmth.

The event happens over windward grassy banks, overhanging brush and blowdowns — wherever the breeze dumps the bugs

Fall shiner runActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · same push on the Ontario side — Simcoe's shiners migrate shallow as the water cools, and the predators ride with them

adultdaylight for the jig bite; after dark the shiners stack under dock lights with walleyes and pike mixed right in — follow the bait, not the spot — millions of shiners move together and the predators ride with them; silver profile and flash matter

Concentrates hard but travels — the school (and the walleyes under it) can be off a river mouth one week and miles upriver the next.

Jig-and-minnow is the event's signature — a frozen emerald shiner on a 1/4 oz jig drifted along the run; silver jerkbaits and trolled crankbaits take the roaming fish; blade baits under the schools.

The event happens over river mouths and the first miles upriver, warming shallow shorelines, and rocky points where the displaced bait stacks

Next on this water

Hex (giant mayfly) · mayflyMay 25 – Aug 10 · in ~9 months

June mayfly hatch (walleye lakes) · mayflyJun 1 – Aug 10 · in ~9 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Elephant Head Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Elephant Head Lake on the board.

Fishing Elephant Head Lake: what the data says

271-acre lake in Sudbury District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 62 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 1980 (an MNRF lake survey). Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

The drawn water covers 272 acres wrapped in 5.4 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 2.3, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 70% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 1.5 mi, about 0.8 mi across. Sudbury District claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Nabakwasi Lake, is 3 mi to the southwest.

Northern Pike fishing at Elephant Head Lake

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 1 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 (1 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow feeding flat (14 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow feeding flat (14 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Shallow feeding flat (14 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Elephant Head Lake

Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 45 ft. Start at Secondary point. It's a point holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in 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	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (2 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (3 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Secondary point (2 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Break off the point (3 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Notable structure

Elephant Head Lake carries 7 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 58 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 58 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 14 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 3 ft
Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 1 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft

Elephant Head Lake fishing regulations

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 Elephant Head Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Elephant Head Lake?

Elephant Head Lake is about 62 ft (19 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1980 (an MNRF lake survey).

What fish are in Elephant Head Lake?

Anglers target northern pike, smallmouth bass on Elephant Head Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Elephant Head Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Elephant Head Lake?

For northern pike, 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Elephant Head Lake?

Fishing on Elephant Head 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.

Nearby waters

Nabakwasi Lake 3 mi · Waonga Lake 4 mi · West Shining Tree Lake 4 mi · Lower Opikinimika Lake 5 mi · Wanatangua Lake 5 mi · Eplett Lake 6 mi · Okawakenda Lake 6 mi · Chlorus Lake 6 mi · Cryderman Lake 6 mi · Stewart Lake 7 mi · Claw Lake 8 mi · Michiwakenda Lake 8 mi

See how Elephant Head Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario

More water nearby: Sudbury District fishing maps (868 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.