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493-acre lake in Rainy River District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 69 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The outline encloses 498 acres, worked by 10.2 miles of shoreline, with 2 islands in the mix. An index of 3.3 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. About 22% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 1.7 mi long by 1 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Rainy River District. Its nearest charted neighbour, Little Brown Lake, is 2 mi to the east.
Early season lake trout use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 21 to 69 ft, then a winter hold in 17 to 69 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 59 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 (17 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 21 to 69 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep basin (59 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (17 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 17 to 69 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (59 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 21 to 69 ft, wintering in 20 to 60 ft. Summer cisco (lake herring) concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 59 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 (31 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 21 to 69 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (59 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 (59 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| 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 | Break off the point (31 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (31 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (31 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring smallmouth bass on Jim Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 17 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (31 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (17 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (31 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 59 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 Jim Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Jim Lake is about 69 ft (21 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), yellow perch, smallmouth bass on Jim Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 59 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 Jim 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.
Little Brown Lake 2 mi · Abbess Lake 2 mi · Kemuel Lake 3 mi · Caribus Lake 4 mi · Olympia Lake 4 mi · Owl Lake 4 mi · Lerome Lake 6 mi · Narrow Lake 6 mi · Apungsisagen Lake 6 mi · Bewag Lake 7 mi · Highland Lake 7 mi · Nym Lake 7 mi
See how Jim Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario · best cisco (lake herring) 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.