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8,565-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 38 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Drawn out, this is 8,573 acres of water rimmed by 53.8 miles of bank, broken up by 11 islands. A development index of 4.1 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 83% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 13.9 mi long by 4 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Thunder Bay District. For a second option, Brace Lake lies 3 mi northeast.
Come spring, look for lake whitefish tight to the bank in 11 to 38 ft. Through summer count on 11 to 38 ft; the winter hold is 11 to 38 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 32 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is 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 | 11 to 38 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 11 to 38 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep basin (32 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Rock reef (5 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 11 to 38 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (32 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Come spring, look for cisco (lake herring) tight to the bank in 10 to 38 ft. Through summer count on 11 to 38 ft; the winter hold is 11 to 38 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 32 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is 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 38 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (32 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 11 to 38 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (32 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (5 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 11 to 38 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (32 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Spring walleye on Meta Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 11 to 38 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 17 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled).
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 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 11 to 38 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (17 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 11 to 38 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (32 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 5 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is 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 | Break off the point (17 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (32 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (32 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 | Break off the point (17 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (17 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 |
Meta Lake carries 12 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 32 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 Meta Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Meta Lake is about 38 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, yellow perch, northern pike on Meta Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 32 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Meta 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.
Brace Lake 3 mi · Ara Lake 6 mi · Stewart Lake 10 mi · Boston Lake 12 mi · Cecil Lake 12 mi · Andy Thompson Lake 12 mi · Hanover Lake 14 mi · Tennant Lake 14 mi · O'Sullivan Lake 15 mi · Lucy Lake 16 mi · Melchett Lake 18 mi · Crayon Lake 20 mi
See how Meta Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch 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. 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.