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.
8,427-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 145 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
On the chart, Forgan Lake draws 8,469 acres inside 81.2 miles of shoreline — 29 islands included. With a shoreline index of 6.3, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 31% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 9.8 mi end to end and 6.5 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Thunder Bay District. For a second option, Oskawe Lake lies 4 mi west.
Early season lake whitefish use the shallows, holding in 15 to 45 ft. Expect a summer slide to 40 to 90 ft, then a winter hold in 25 to 70 ft. Put Rock reef first on the milk run — a rock pile near 6 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | Offshore hump (21 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Break off the point (65 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Rock reef (6 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (21 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Early season cisco (lake herring) use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 40 to 80 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 60 ft. Put Offshore hump first on the milk run — an offshore hump near 21 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (21 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Break off the point (65 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (6 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (21 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in 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 | Sharp break (17 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (17 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (21 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 | Sharp break (17 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 puts burbot in skinny water — 25 to 70 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 50 to 120 ft, wintering in 15 to 60 ft. Winter burbot concentrate at Offshore hump, a prime-rated offshore hump around 21 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and midday. A heavy jig + cut bait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (65 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | Deep basin (123 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (65 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Offshore hump (21 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Structure-wise the chart holds 15 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 123 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 Forgan Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Forgan Lake is about 145 ft (44 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), yellow perch, northern pike, burbot on Forgan 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 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 Forgan 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.
Oskawe Lake 4 mi · Cox Lake 7 mi · Keemle Lake 10 mi · Shamrock Lake 10 mi · McKirdy Lake 10 mi · Postagoni Lake 11 mi · Gorge Lake 12 mi · Frazer Lake 14 mi · Parland Lake 16 mi · Purdom Lake 16 mi · Fairloch Lake 16 mi · Kirkup Lake 17 mi
See how Forgan Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario · best burbot 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.