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172-acre lake near Theresa. The lake tops out around 87 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Lake of the Woods maps at 174 acres behind 3.8 miles of shoreline. With a 2 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Roughly 26% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.2 mi with a 1.1-mi widest point. If the bite dies, Butterfield Lake is 2 mi to the west.
When the water first warms, lake trout slide up into 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 26 to 87 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 87 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (9 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 26 to 87 ft | dawn | Deep basin (87 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (9 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (87 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Spring rainbow trout on Lake of the Woods hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is Old creek channel — creek channel, 31 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (31 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (31 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (31 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring landlocked salmon on Lake of the Woods hold shallow, usually 1 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + streamer down deep or a thin spoon on lead core.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Streamer flies (Grey Ghost) off boards, Thin spoon (Mooselook style) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (87 ft) | Dodger + streamer down deep, Thin spoon on lead core |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Casting spoon at the mouths, Streamers |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Secondary point (9 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Swedish pimple + smelt |
Start shallow in spring: lake whitefish sit in 15 to 45 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 26 to 87 ft, and winter fish settle into 25 to 70 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 87 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 26 to 87 ft | dawn | Deep basin (87 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Secondary point (9 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (87 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
When the water first warms, northern pike slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (9 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Old creek channel (31 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Lake of the Woods also holds smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 87 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC — and special regulations can apply to Lake of the Woods specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Lake of the Woods is about 87 ft (27 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target lake trout, rainbow trout, landlocked salmon, lake whitefish, northern pike, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, yellow perch, rock bass on Lake of the Woods.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 87 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Lake of the Woods is regulated by the New York DEC. Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Butterfield Lake 2 mi · Millsite Lake 3 mi · Red Lake 3 mi · Sixberry Lake 3 mi · Mud Lake 4 mi · Moon Lake 4 mi · Crystal Lake 5 mi · Payne Lake 5 mi · Clear Lake 6 mi · Hyde Lake 7 mi · St. Lawrence River - Alexandria Bay to Chippewa Bay 8 mi · Pleasant Lake 8 mi
See how Lake of the Woods stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New York · best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best northern pike lakes in New York · best crappie lakes in New York
Browse all New York 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.