Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
58-acre lake in Peterborough County, Ontario. The lake tops out around 16 ft. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1979, a decades-old survey (a transect sounding survey). Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
On the chart, North Pencil Lake draws 59 acres inside 1.7 miles of shoreline. Index 1.5 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.7 mi with a 0.2-mi widest point. You'll find it in Peterborough County. For a second option, Lowry Lake lies 3 mi north.
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 5 to 16 ft game here, winter a 5 to 16 ft one. The chart's best answer is Back-bay flat — weed flat, 4 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 | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 16 ft before dropping to 5 to 16 ft for winter. Winter smallmouth bass concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 7 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (7 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Break off the point (7 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 16 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 16 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (7 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Break off the point (7 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for pumpkinseed tight to the bank in 1 to 8 ft. They move out to 2 to 10 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 16 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 16 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 North Pencil Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
North Pencil Lake is about 16 ft (5 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1979, a decades-old survey (a transect sounding survey).
Anglers target yellow perch, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed on North Pencil Lake. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species Ontario's MNRF recorded in the nearest surveyed lakes, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Back-bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For yellow perch, 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 North Pencil 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.
Lowry Lake 3 mi · Tory Lake 6 mi · Billings Lake 6 mi · McCue Lake 6 mi · Gooderham Lake 6 mi · Eels Lake 6 mi · Buckskin Lake 6 mi · Clanricarde Lake 7 mi · Pencil Lake 7 mi · Little Anstruther Lake 7 mi · North Rathbun Lake 7 mi · Monrock Lake 7 mi
See how North Pencil Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best pumpkinseed lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Peterborough County fishing maps (83 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.