Francis Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (Nipissing District, ON)

Skip to interactive depth chart

Lake depth chart

Francis Lake, ON

Max 30 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

Spring bug season (brook trout lakes) · forageApr 25 – Jun 30 · in ~8 months

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 on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Francis 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 Francis Lake on the board.

Fishing Francis Lake: what the data says

88-acre lake in Nipissing District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 30 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:

The drawn water covers 88 acres wrapped in 2.2 miles of bank. With a 1.6 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. About 68% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 0.9 mi long by 0.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. Nipissing District claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Pretty Lake, is 1 mi to the east.

Brook Trout fishing at Francis Lake

Spring brook trout on Francis Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 20 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 26 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (8 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (26 ft)	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (8 ft)	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (14 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Walleye fishing at Francis Lake

Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 9 to 30 ft, wintering in 9 to 30 ft. Fall walleye concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 14 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (8 ft)	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	9 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	Break off the point (14 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	9 to 30 ft	dusk & night	Break off the point (14 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	9 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	Deep basin (26 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Notable structure

Francis Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 26 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 26 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 14 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft

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

Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Francis Lake?

Francis Lake is about 30 ft (9 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.

What fish are in Francis Lake?

Anglers target brook trout, walleye on Francis Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Francis Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Francis Lake?

For brook trout, 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 Francis Lake?

Fishing on Francis 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

Pretty Lake 1 mi · Square Lake 4 mi · Clemow Lake 5 mi · Lake Travers 6 mi · Greenleaf Lake 7 mi · Beaver Lake 7 mi · North Rouge Lake 8 mi · Barron Lake 8 mi · Carcajou Lake 8 mi · Mathews Lake 8 mi · Findlay Lake 9 mi · Chateau Lake 9 mi

See how Francis Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best brook trout lakes in Ontario

More water nearby: Nipissing District fishing maps (683 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.