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Rating depth structure for walleye.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
2,312-acre lake near Rich Lake. The lake tops out around 62 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Drawn out, this is 2,307 acres of water rimmed by 16.6 miles of bank, with 6 islands in the mix. A development index of 2.5 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 23% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 3.6 mi, about 2.8 mi across. The water lies in Division No. 12. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Pinehurst Lake, 6 mi northeast of here.
In spring, burbot run shallow here, mostly 19 to 62 ft. Summer keeps them at 19 to 62 ft, and they winter in 15 to 60 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 61 ft, rated prime for spring burbot. Time it for after dark and midday. You won't need more than a heavy jig + cut bait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 19 to 62 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (61 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 19 to 62 ft | night & midday | Deep basin (61 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 19 to 62 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (61 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (61 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Spring lake whitefish on Ironwood Lake hold shallow, usually 15 to 45 ft. By summer they slide out to 19 to 62 ft, and by winter most fish are in 19 to 62 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 61 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (43 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 19 to 62 ft | dawn | Deep basin (61 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 19 to 62 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (61 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Back-bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. 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 | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 15 to 35 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. Start at Secondary point. It's a point holding about 16 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| 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 | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (16 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Secondary point (16 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (43 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 11 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 (11 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (43 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Count 8 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 61 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Alberta waters are set by the Alberta fishing regulations — and special regulations can apply to Ironwood Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alberta fishing regulations →
Ironwood Lake is about 62 ft (19 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target burbot, lake whitefish, northern pike, walleye, yellow perch on Ironwood Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 61 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For burbot, the summer bite is best in after dark and midday. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Ironwood Lake is regulated by the Alberta fishing regulations. Check the official Alberta regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Pinehurst Lake 6 mi · Fork Lake 9 mi · Seibert Lake 12 mi · Beaver Lake 14 mi · Touchwood Lake 16 mi · Claude Lake 21 mi · Whitefish Lake 22 mi · Wolf Lake 23 mi · Grassy Island Lake 24 mi · Manatokan Lake 25 mi · Goodfish Lake 25 mi · Square Lake 25 mi
See how Ironwood Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Alberta · best northern pike lakes in Alberta · best yellow perch lakes in Alberta · best lake whitefish lakes in Alberta
More water nearby: Division No. 12 fishing maps (45 charts). Browse all Alberta fishing maps or 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.