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4,495-acre lake in Kenora District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 40 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Traced from the shoreline, Mattawa Lake runs 4,501 acres with 53.7 miles of edge, with 8 islands in the mix. A development index of 5.7 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. About 84% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 7.3 mi long by 4.6 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in Kenora District. The nearest mapped water is Queer L., 4 mi to the north.
Come spring, look for lake whitefish tight to the bank in 12 to 40 ft. Through summer count on 12 to 40 ft; the winter hold is 12 to 40 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 34 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning. A blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon 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 | 12 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (8 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 12 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep basin (34 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Rock reef (2 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (34 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Come spring, look for cisco (lake herring) tight to the bank in 10 to 40 ft. Through summer count on 12 to 40 ft; the winter hold is 12 to 40 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 34 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic 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 | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (34 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 12 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (34 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (2 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (34 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Spring walleye on Mattawa Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 15 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 34 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (34 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Sharp break (8 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (34 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for sauger tight to the bank in 4 to 18 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 34 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait 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 | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (2 ft) | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (8 ft) | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Sharp break (8 ft) | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Deep basin (34 ft) | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Sharp break (8 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (34 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (8 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (8 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Mattawa Lake also holds smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), burbot (12 to 40 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Mattawa Lake carries 11 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 34 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 Mattawa Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Mattawa Lake is about 40 ft (12 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 lake whitefish, cisco (lake herring), walleye, sauger, yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, rock bass, burbot on Mattawa Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 34 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Mattawa 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.
Queer L. 4 mi · Cutstone Lake 4 mi · Palette L. 4 mi · Eva Lake 5 mi · Mottle L. 5 mi · Bell Lake 8 mi · English Lake 8 mi · Crystal Lake 9 mi · Willow L. 9 mi · McLaurin Lake 10 mi · Darkwater Lake 11 mi · Krisko Lake 11 mi
See how Mattawa Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best walleye lakes in Ontario · best sauger lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Kenora District fishing maps (1173 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.