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.
26,794-acre lake in Cochrane District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 15 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 1971, a decades-old survey (a transect sounding survey). What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The outline encloses 26,914 acres, worked by 122 miles of shoreline, broken up by 123 islands. The 5.3 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. End to end it runs roughly 17.3 mi, about 6.3 mi across. It sits in Cochrane District. Its nearest charted neighbour, McCoshen Lake, is 8 mi to the northeast.
These fish are listed in an exact-water agency record as forage or ecological context. They are not target-species profiles and do not affect DepthScout's Prime, Good, or Fair spot ratings.
Official Ontario MNRF Fish ON-Line record. The listing documents source-recorded presence, not present abundance or guaranteed catchability.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: cisco (lake herring) in 4 to 15 ft. The depth story barely changes: 5 to 15 ft through summer, 5 to 15 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 10 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic gets it done.
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 chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 3 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Gravel shoal (4 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 15 ft. Gravel shoal is the standout, a gravel shoal at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) 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 | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Gravel shoal (4 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Sharp break (6 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Sharp break (6 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, sauger run shallow here, mostly 3 to 15 ft. Summer keeps them at 5 to 15 ft, and they winter in 5 to 15 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for winter sauger. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait 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 | 3 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Gravel shoal (4 ft) | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (6 ft) | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Sharp break (6 ft) | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow flat, a weed flat in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
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 | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow flat (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 5 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Weed flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage 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 | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow flat (5 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow flat (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: goldeye in 3 to 10 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 10 ft through summer, 5 to 15 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 10 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a small spinner or a dry flies / foam hoppers at dusk gets it done.
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 | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Feeding flat (10 ft) | Small jig (white/pink) under a float, Inline spinner |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Feeding flat (10 ft) | Small spinner, Dry flies / foam hoppers at dusk |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | Small jig + twister tail, Inline spinner (deeper) |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Small jig tipped with minnow piece |
12 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 10 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Geospatial Ontario - Fishing Access Points; Government of Ontario - MNR Unpatented Crown Land Shoreline; Government of Ontario - MNR Unpatented Crown Land Shoreline. 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 Night Hawk Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Night Hawk Lake is about 15 ft (5 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1971, a decades-old survey (a transect sounding survey).
Anglers target cisco (lake herring), walleye, sauger, yellow perch, northern pike, goldeye on Night Hawk Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in spring. 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 Night Hawk 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.
McCoshen Lake 8 mi · Three Nations Lake 8 mi · Bob's Lake 8 mi · Round Lake 9 mi · Roundelay Lake 9 mi · Long Lake 9 mi · Gibson Lake 9 mi · Centre Triple Lake 9 mi · Little Club Lake 9 mi · Aquarius L. 9 mi · Heart Lake 9 mi · Fogg Lake 10 mi
See how Night Hawk 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. 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.