Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
321-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 35 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Traced from the shoreline, Finlayson Lake runs 319 acres with 6.6 miles of edge. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 2.6) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. 80% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 1.9 mi end to end and 0.7 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Thunder Bay District. For a second option, Lally Lake lies 4 mi southwest.
Spring lake whitefish on Finlayson Lake hold shallow, usually 11 to 35 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 11 to 35 ft in summer, 11 to 35 ft once it turns cold. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 30 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon.
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 | 11 to 35 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 11 to 35 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep basin (30 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (30 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Spring cisco (lake herring) on Finlayson Lake hold shallow, usually 9 to 35 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 11 to 35 ft in summer, 11 to 35 ft once it turns cold. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 30 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic.
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 | 9 to 35 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (30 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 11 to 35 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (30 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (30 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 11 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 16 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
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 | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 11 to 35 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (16 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (30 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Finlayson Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 30 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 Finlayson Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Finlayson Lake is about 35 ft (11 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, cisco (lake herring), walleye, northern pike on Finlayson Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Finlayson 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.
Lally Lake 4 mi · Goldfield Lake 5 mi · Gamsby Lake 7 mi · Hartley L. 8 mi · Mosher Lake 8 mi · Rogers Lake 11 mi · Kenogamisis Lake 12 mi · Wildgoose Lake 13 mi · Long Lake 13 mi · Forrester Lake 13 mi · Needle Lake 13 mi · Wintering Lake 14 mi
See how Finlayson Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario · best cisco (lake herring) lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Thunder Bay District fishing maps (662 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.