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Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
267-acre lake in Kenora District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 79 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The drawn water covers 269 acres wrapped in 8.2 miles of bank. An index of 3.6 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. 49% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 1.6 mi, about 1 mi across. It sits in Kenora District. If the bite dies, Bretz Lake is 1 mi to the southwest.
Early season lake trout use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 24 to 79 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 79 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 67 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
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 (20 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 24 to 79 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep basin (67 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (20 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 79 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (67 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Spring puts cisco (lake herring) in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 24 to 79 ft, wintering in 20 to 60 ft. Summer cisco (lake herring) concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 67 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic covers the summer program.
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 |
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 36 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (36 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (36 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (36 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 67 ft.
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 James Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
James Lake 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.
Anglers target lake trout, cisco (lake herring), walleye on James Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 67 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each 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 James 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.
Bretz Lake 1 mi · Kahabeness Lake 2 mi · Grant Lake 3 mi · Grave Lake 3 mi · Benstewart Lake 4 mi · Flossie Lake 4 mi · Eyelid Lake 4 mi · Phairs Lake 4 mi · Dogfly Lake 4 mi · Vickers Lake 5 mi · Allen Lake 6 mi · Vista Lake 6 mi
See how James Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario · best cisco (lake herring) lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Kenora District fishing maps (1173 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.