Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at NL
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing NL: what the data says
437-acre lake near Ontario. The lake tops out around 79 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Lake Trout fishing at NL
Spring lake trout on NL hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 24 to 79 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 79 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 67 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 24 to 79 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 79 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Lake Whitefish fishing at NL
In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 15 to 45 ft. By summer they slide out to 24 to 79 ft, and by winter most fish are in 25 to 70 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 67 ft that scores prime in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 24 to 79 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Cisco (Lake Herring) fishing at NL
Spring cisco (lake herring) on NL hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 24 to 79 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 60 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 67 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 24 to 79 ft | dawn | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Walleye fishing at NL
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 36 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Northern Pike fishing at NL
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 67 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 36 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 20 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 20 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is NL?
NL is about 79 ft 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.
What fish are in NL?
Anglers target walleye, northern pike, lake trout, lake whitefish, cisco (lake herring) on NL.
Where is the best fishing spot on NL?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 67 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish NL?
For lake trout, 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.
Nearby waters
Pineneedle Lake · NL · NL · Jack Lake · Sidious L. · Hat Lake
See how NL stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario
Browse all Ontario fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.