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249-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 13 ft. The depth chart comes from Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. 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.
These fish are listed in an exact-water agency record as forage or ecological context. They are not target-species profiles and do not affect DepthScout's Prime, Good, or Fair spot ratings.
Official Ontario MNRF Fish ON-Line record. The listing documents source-recorded presence, not present abundance or guaranteed catchability.
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.
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 | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (13 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (13 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 70 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.
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 | 3 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (13 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (13 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 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.
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 | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 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.
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 | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (13 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (13 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: cisco (lake herring) in 3 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 cisco (lake herring) in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic gets it done.
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 | 3 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (13 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (13 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 13 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 13 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
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 | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (13 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (13 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
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, cisco (lake herring), smallmouth bass 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 smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Thunder Bay District fishing maps (662 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps. 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.