Lake depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for walleye.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
1,982-acre lake near Grosmont. The lake tops out around 60 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Traced from the shoreline, Island Lake runs 1,978 acres with 23.7 miles of edge, broken up by 8 islands. An index of 3.8 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 74% of this chart. End to end it runs roughly 3.8 mi, about 2.1 mi across. The water lies in Division No. 13. The nearest mapped water is Ghost Lake, 4 mi to the northwest.
Spring lake whitefish on Island Lake hold shallow, usually 15 to 45 ft. By summer they slide out to 18 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 18 to 60 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 59 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 | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 18 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (59 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | open water | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 18 to 60 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (59 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: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 1 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 | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (17 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 Shallow feeding flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 17 ft of water and rates good come summer. 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 (1 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (59 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 1 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 (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (59 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 7 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 59 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 Island Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alberta fishing regulations →
Island Lake is about 60 ft (18 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 lake whitefish, northern pike, walleye, yellow perch on Island Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 59 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Island 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.
Ghost Lake 4 mi · Baptiste Lake 6 mi · Lawrence Lake 12 mi · Steele Lake 17 mi · Long Island Lake 29 mi · Skeleton Lake 36 mi · Fawcett Lake 36 mi · Cache Lake 36 mi · Dakin Lake 39 mi · Amisk Lake 40 mi · Charron Lake 41 mi · North Buck Lake 41 mi
See how Island 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. 13 fishing maps (20 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.