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370-acre lake in Rainy River District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 59 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Drawn out, this is 370 acres of water rimmed by 4.4 miles of bank. Index 1.6 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Roughly 53% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 1.6 mi end to end and 0.7 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Rainy River District. The nearest mapped water is Bennett Lake, 3 mi to the west.
Come spring, look for cisco (lake herring) tight to the bank in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 18 to 59 ft, then a winter hold in 18 to 59 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 50 ft of water and rates prime come summer. 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 (50 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 18 to 59 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (50 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (27 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 18 to 59 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (50 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Spring walleye on McPherson 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 Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 27 ft that grades prime for fall. 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 (15 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (27 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (27 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (27 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
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 6 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 (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 |
McPherson Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 50 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 McPherson Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
McPherson Lake is about 59 ft (18 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 cisco (lake herring), walleye, northern pike on McPherson Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 50 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For cisco (lake herring), 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 McPherson 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.
Bennett Lake 3 mi · Price Lake 3 mi · Gehl Lake 4 mi · Calm Lake 5 mi · Holmes Lake 6 mi · Warner Lake 6 mi · Moosetrack Lake 7 mi · Day Lake 7 mi · Little Moosetrack L. 8 mi · Factor Lake 8 mi · Roscoe Lake 9 mi · Whalen Lake 9 mi
See how McPherson Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best cisco (lake herring) lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Rainy River District fishing maps (257 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.