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.
327-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 46 ft. The depth chart comes from Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1984 (an MNRF lake survey). What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
McWhinney Lake maps at 328 acres behind 9.9 miles of shoreline, broken up by 4 islands. A development index of 3.9 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. 97% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 1.7 mi, about 1.4 mi across. It sits in Thunder Bay District. Its nearest charted neighbour, Keelor Lake, is 2 mi to the southwest.
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 28 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (28 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Deep basin (28 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (28 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring northern pike on McWhinney Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 1 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring puts lake whitefish in skinny water — 15 to 45 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 14 to 46 ft, wintering in 14 to 46 ft. Summer lake whitefish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 28 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon covers the summer program.
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 | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 14 to 46 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep basin (28 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (1 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 14 to 46 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (28 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Count 7 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 28 ft.
Access data: Geospatial Ontario - Fishing Access Points. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 McWhinney Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
McWhinney Lake is about 46 ft (14 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1984 (an MNRF lake survey).
Anglers target walleye, northern pike, lake whitefish on McWhinney Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 28 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in winter. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on McWhinney 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.
Keelor Lake 2 mi · Mott Lake 4 mi · Edmondson Lake 6 mi · Hicks Lake 6 mi · Tease Lake 7 mi · Smiley Lake 8 mi · Walotka Lake 11 mi · Eaglehead Lake 11 mi · Anders Lake 12 mi · Eaglehead River 14 mi · Whitefin Lake 14 mi · Starnes Lake 14 mi
See how McWhinney Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Thunder Bay District fishing maps (662 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.