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174-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 72 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Drawn out, this is 172 acres of water rimmed by 6 miles of bank. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 3.3) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 55% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 2.8 mi with a 0.2-mi widest point. The water lies in Thunder Bay District. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Making Ground Lake, 4 mi northeast of here.
Spring puts brook trout in skinny water — 2 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 20 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 32 ft, rated prime for summer brook trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (32 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (18 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 15 to 35 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 32 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (18 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (32 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (32 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (32 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (32 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (32 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (32 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, burbot run shallow here, mostly 25 to 70 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 22 to 72 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 60 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 61 ft, rated prime for spring burbot. Time it for after dark and midday. You won't need more than a heavy jig + cut bait most summer days.
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 | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (61 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 22 to 72 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | Deep basin (61 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 22 to 72 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (61 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (61 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Needle Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 61 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 Needle Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Needle Lake is about 72 ft (22 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 brook trout, walleye, yellow perch, burbot on Needle Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 32 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For brook trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Needle 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.
Making Ground Lake 4 mi · Long Lake 5 mi · Greenwater Lake 7 mi · McLeod Lake 9 mi · Tricorn Lake 10 mi · Sun Lake 10 mi · Eaglecrest Lake 11 mi · McBean Lake 11 mi · Hob Lake 11 mi · Middleton Lake 12 mi · Little Pic Lake 12 mi · Forrester Lake 12 mi
See how Needle Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best brook trout lakes in Ontario · best burbot 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.