Hour L. Depth Map & Fishing Spots (ON)

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Lake depth chart

Hour L., ON

Max 79 ft

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Where to start

Fall shiner run window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

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

Hex (giant mayfly) · mayflyMay 25 – Aug 10 · in ~8 months

June mayfly hatch (walleye lakes) · mayflyJun 1 – Aug 10 · in ~8 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.

Depth · ft

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Recent catches at Hour L.

Recent public catches load as you reach this section.

Fishing Hour L.: what the data says

458-acre lake in Rainy River District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 79 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.

Drawn out, this is 462 acres of water rimmed by 12.8 miles of bank, with a single island in the mix. The 4.2 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 50% of this chart, as modeled. The basin spans about 3.1 mi end to end and 0.9 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Rainy River District. The nearest mapped water is Whalen Lake, 2 mi to the north.

Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at Hour L.

Spring cisco (lake herring) on Hour L. hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 24 to 79 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 60 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 67 ft that grades prime for summer. 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	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (36 ft)	Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white)
Summer	24 to 79 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 80 ft	dawn	Deep basin (67 ft)	Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver)
Winter	20 to 60 ft	dawn	Deep basin (67 ft)	Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head

Yellow Perch fishing at Hour L.

When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.

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	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (36 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (36 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Northern Pike fishing at Hour L.

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 6 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 (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

Rock Bass fishing at Hour L.

Spring rock bass on Hour L. hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 5 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 30 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 20 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run the evening. The summer box starts with a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	midday & dawn	open water	1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner
Summer	5 to 20 ft	dusk	Main-lake point (20 ft)	Ned rig (small), Marabou jig
Fall	8 to 22 ft	midday	Main-lake point (20 ft)	Small tube jig, Inline spinner
Winter	12 to 30 ft	midday	Break off the point (36 ft)	Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike

Bluegill fishing at Hour L.

Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Pumpkinseed fishing at Hour L.

Spring pumpkinseed on Hour L. hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. They move out to 2 to 10 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 18 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly).

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 8 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin
Summer	2 to 10 ft	dusk & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly)
Fall	4 to 14 ft	dusk & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	6 to 18 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Notable structure

The chart marks 6 structure features on Hour L.; the deepest is Deep basin at about 67 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 67 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 36 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 20 ft
Secondary point: point, around 20 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft

Hour L. 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 Hour L. specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Hour L.?

Hour L. is about 79 ft (24 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 Hour L.?

Anglers target cisco (lake herring), yellow perch, northern pike, rock bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed on Hour L..

Where is the best fishing spot on Hour L.?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 67 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Hour L.?

For cisco (lake herring), 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Hour L.?

Fishing on Hour L. 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

Whalen Lake 2 mi · Bat Lake 3 mi · Christensen L. 3 mi · Gussie Lake 3 mi · Van Lake 4 mi · Three Island Lake 4 mi · Muskeg Lake 5 mi · Esox Lake 5 mi · Alonghill Lake 5 mi · Hutchins Lake 5 mi · Strong Lake 5 mi · Sphene Lake 5 mi

See how Hour L. stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best bluegill lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best rock bass lakes in Ontario

More water nearby: Rainy River District fishing maps (257 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.