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830-acre lake in Kenora District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 119 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 1979, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey). What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
On the chart, Hatchet Lake draws 832 acres inside 17 miles of shoreline, broken up by 2 islands. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 4.2) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. About 75% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 3.6 mi with a 1.3-mi widest point. The water lies in Kenora District. For a second option, Upper Hatchet L. lies 2 mi west.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake trout in 10 to 40 ft. As the season builds they drop to 36 to 119 ft, wintering in 20 to 80 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 110 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
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 | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 36 to 119 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep basin (110 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Break off the point (1 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Come spring, look for lake whitefish tight to the bank in 15 to 45 ft. Expect a summer slide to 40 to 90 ft, then a winter hold in 25 to 70 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 110 ft of water and rates good come summer. Prime time lands in early morning. A blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep basin (110 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (1 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Come spring, look for cisco (lake herring) tight to the bank in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 40 to 80 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 60 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 1 ft of water and rates good come fall. Prime time lands in early morning. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | open water | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (1 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | open water | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 1 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (1 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (1 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 1 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage most summer days.
| 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 | open water | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 110 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Hatchet Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Hatchet Lake is about 119 ft (36 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1979, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey).
Anglers target lake trout, lake whitefish, cisco (lake herring), yellow perch, northern pike on Hatchet Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 110 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For lake trout, 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 Hatchet 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.
Upper Hatchet L. 2 mi · Douglas Lake 2 mi · Peterson L. 3 mi · Onnie Lake 3 mi · Foley Lake 3 mi · Mulcahy L. 4 mi · Hughs L. 4 mi · Johnson Lake 4 mi · Embryo Lake 4 mi · Page L. 4 mi · Stupack L. 5 mi · Bridget Lake 5 mi
See how Hatchet Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Kenora District fishing maps (1173 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps. 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.