Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
79-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 36 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Kirkup Lake maps at 78 acres behind 3.1 miles of shoreline. A development index of 2.5 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. 83% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 0.9 mi long by 0.5 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Thunder Bay District. Its nearest charted neighbour, Mary Jane Lake, is 1 mi to the east.
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. 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 | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (31 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (31 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
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 4 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 (4 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Kirkup Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 31 ft down.
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 Kirkup Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Kirkup Lake is about 36 ft (11 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 yellow perch, northern pike on Kirkup Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For yellow perch, 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 Kirkup 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.
Mary Jane Lake 1 mi · Fairloch Lake 6 mi · Empire Lake 7 mi · Parland Lake 12 mi · Postagoni Lake 13 mi · Watson Lake 13 mi · Windigokan Lake 14 mi · Lake Jean 15 mi · Forgan Lake 17 mi · Gorge Lake 18 mi · Beaverpond L. 19 mi · Georgia Lake 19 mi
See how Kirkup Lake stacks up: 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. 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.