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106-acre lake in Sudbury District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 72 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Essem Lake runs 105 acres with 3.8 miles of edge. A development index of 2.7 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. 68% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 0.7 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.7 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Sudbury District. For a second option, Puswawa Lake lies 2 mi east.
Early season lake whitefish use the shallows, holding in 15 to 45 ft. Summer is a 22 to 72 ft game here, winter a 25 to 70 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 61 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (32 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 22 to 72 ft | dawn | Deep basin (61 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (18 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (61 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 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. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.
| 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 (32 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (32 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (32 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 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 the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 |
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 61 ft.
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 Essem Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Essem Lake is about 72 ft (22 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 whitefish, yellow perch, northern pike on Essem Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 61 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For lake whitefish, 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 Essem 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.
Puswawa Lake 2 mi · Corrigan Lake 3 mi · Lawless Lake 4 mi · Korpela Lake 4 mi · Antler Lake 6 mi · Sheppard Lake 7 mi · Teal Lake 8 mi · Keelow Lake 8 mi · Gale Lake 9 mi · Tenor Lake 10 mi · Lineus Lake 11 mi · Sample Lake 13 mi
See how Essem Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Sudbury District fishing maps (868 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.