McDiarmid Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (Cochrane District, ON)

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McDiarmid Lake, ON

Max 5 ft

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Where to start

Fall shiner run window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shiner runActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · same push on the Ontario side — Simcoe's shiners migrate shallow as the water cools, and the predators ride with them

adultdaylight for the jig bite; after dark the shiners stack under dock lights with walleyes and pike mixed right in — follow the bait, not the spot — millions of shiners move together and the predators ride with them; silver profile and flash matter

Concentrates hard but travels — the school (and the walleyes under it) can be off a river mouth one week and miles upriver the next.

Jig-and-minnow is the event's signature — a frozen emerald shiner on a 1/4 oz jig drifted along the run; silver jerkbaits and trolled crankbaits take the roaming fish; blade baits under the schools.

The event happens over river mouths and the first miles upriver, warming shallow shorelines, and rocky points where the displaced bait stacks

Next on this water

Hex (giant mayfly) · mayflyMay 25 – Aug 10 · in ~9 months

June mayfly hatch (walleye lakes) · mayflyJun 1 – Aug 10 · in ~9 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at McDiarmid Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put McDiarmid Lake on the board.

Fishing McDiarmid Lake: what the data says

1,025-acre lake in Cochrane District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 5 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.

McDiarmid Lake maps at 1,026 acres behind 11.4 miles of shoreline, broken up by an island. 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. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. End to end it runs roughly 2.6 mi, about 1.4 mi across. Cochrane District claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Webster Lake, is 9 mi to the southwest.

Walleye fishing at McDiarmid Lake

Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 1 to 5 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 5 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 5 ft. Fall walleye concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 2 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.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 5 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (5 ft)	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	2 to 5 ft	dusk & dawn	Break off the point (2 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	2 to 5 ft	dusk & night	Break off the point (2 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	2 to 5 ft	dusk & dawn	Deep basin (4 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Sauger fishing at McDiarmid Lake

In spring, sauger run shallow here, mostly 1 to 5 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 5 ft, and they winter in 2 to 5 ft. Winter sauger concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 4 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 5 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (5 ft)	3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow
Summer	2 to 5 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (2 ft)	Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait
Fall	2 to 5 ft	dusk & dawn	Break off the point (2 ft)	Jig + big minnow, Blade bait
Winter	2 to 5 ft	dusk	Deep basin (4 ft)	Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical)

Yellow Perch fishing at McDiarmid Lake

Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 1 to 5 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 5 ft covers summer, 2 to 5 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Shallow 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.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 5 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	2 to 5 ft	dawn	Deep basin (4 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	2 to 5 ft	midday	Deep basin (4 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	2 to 5 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (4 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Northern Pike fishing at McDiarmid Lake

Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 1 to 5 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 5 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 5 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 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.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 5 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	2 to 5 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	2 to 5 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	2 to 5 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Rock Bass fishing at McDiarmid Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: rock bass in 1 to 5 ft. The depth story barely changes: 1 to 5 ft through summer, 2 to 5 ft in winter. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for rock bass in summer. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 5 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (5 ft)	1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner
Summer	1 to 5 ft	dusk	Main-lake point (5 ft)	Ned rig (small), Marabou jig
Fall	2 to 5 ft	midday	Break off the point (2 ft)	Small tube jig, Inline spinner
Winter	2 to 5 ft	midday	Deep basin (4 ft)	Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike

Brown Bullhead fishing at McDiarmid Lake

When the water first warms, brown bullhead slide up into 1 to 5 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 1 to 5 ft, winter 2 to 5 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	1 to 5 ft	dusk & night	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)
Summer	1 to 5 ft	night & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)
Fall	2 to 5 ft	dusk	Deep basin (4 ft)
Winter	2 to 5 ft	midday	Deep basin (4 ft)

Notable structure

Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Main-lake point, sits near 5 ft.

Main-lake point: point, around 5 ft
Secondary point: point, around 5 ft
Deep basin: deep basin, around 4 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 2 ft

McDiarmid Lake fishing regulations

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 McDiarmid Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is McDiarmid Lake?

McDiarmid Lake is about 5 ft (2 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.

What fish are in McDiarmid Lake?

Anglers target walleye, sauger, yellow perch, northern pike, rock bass, brown bullhead on McDiarmid Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on McDiarmid Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish McDiarmid Lake?

For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

What are the fishing regulations for McDiarmid Lake?

Fishing on McDiarmid 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.

Nearby waters

Webster Lake 9 mi · Clarice Lake 9 mi, ON/QC · Trollope Lake 10 mi · Death Lake 10 mi · Harker Lake 11 mi · Pontiac Lake 12 mi · Kelso Lake 12 mi · Captain Lake 13 mi · Van Alstyne Lake 13 mi · Sunrise Lake 13 mi · Mary Lake 14 mi · Carlyle Lake 14 mi

See how McDiarmid Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best sauger lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario

More water nearby: Cochrane District fishing maps (673 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps or 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.