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249-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 13 ft. The depth data here comes from a transect sounding survey by the Ontario MNRF. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The outline encloses 250 acres, worked by 4.9 miles of shoreline, broken up by 3 islands. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 2.2) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. End to end it runs roughly 1.3 mi, about 0.5 mi across. Thunder Bay District claims this one. Rinker Lake sits 1 mi northeast — the closest neighbouring chart.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake whitefish in 4 to 13 ft. The depth story barely changes: 4 to 13 ft through summer, 4 to 13 ft in winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (13 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft | dusk | Break off the point (13 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 3 to 13 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 4 to 13 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 13 ft. Fall walleye concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 13 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (13 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (13 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 13 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Back-bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 13 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 13 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (13 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (13 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 13 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Jolly Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Jolly Lake is about 13 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from a transect sounding survey by the Ontario MNRF.
Anglers target lake whitefish, walleye, yellow perch, northern pike on Jolly Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 13 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 Jolly 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.
Rinker Lake 1 mi · Legris Lake 2 mi · Vandenbrooks Lake 2 mi · Camp Lake 6 mi · Sauerbrei Lake 8 mi · Lac des Iles 8 mi · Rousseau Lake 8 mi · Poshkokagan Lake 9 mi · Whistle Lake 10 mi · Whitefin Lake 10 mi · Heaven Lake 11 mi · Starnes Lake 11 mi
See how Jolly Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Thunder Bay District fishing maps (662 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.