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1,377-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 60 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 the Ontario MNRF survey of 1973, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey). What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Kellow Lake maps at 1,377 acres behind 28.7 miles of shoreline. An index of 5.5 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 96% of this chart. End to end it runs roughly 5.5 mi, about 2.5 mi across. It sits in Thunder Bay District. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lake I-291, is 4 mi to the southwest.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake whitefish in 15 to 45 ft. As the season builds they drop to 18 to 60 ft, wintering in 18 to 60 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 47 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning. 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 | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 18 to 60 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep basin (47 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (4 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 18 to 60 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (47 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: cisco (lake herring) in 10 to 40 ft. As the season builds they drop to 18 to 60 ft, wintering in 20 to 60 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 47 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning. 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 | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (47 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 18 to 60 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (47 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (4 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (47 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 4 ft, rated good for fall walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. 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 | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (4 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (4 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (47 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 1 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is 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 (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (12 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (12 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (12 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 8 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 47 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 Kellow Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Kellow Lake is about 60 ft (18 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1973, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey).
Anglers target lake whitefish, cisco (lake herring), walleye, northern pike on Kellow Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 47 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 Kellow 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.
Lake I-291 4 mi · Elbow L. 5 mi · Studd Lake 6 mi · Opichuan Lake 7 mi · Whitefish Lake 8 mi · Peninsular Lake 11 mi · Abazotikichuan Lake 13 mi · Kagianagami Lake 13 mi · Sim Lake 14 mi · Faircloth Lake 15 mi · Bellsmith Lake 18 mi · Napper Lake 18 mi
See how Kellow Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario · best cisco (lake herring) 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.