Lake depth chart
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38-acre lake in Nipissing District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 46 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 1989 (a transect sounding survey). Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Oak Lake runs 38 acres with 1.3 miles of edge, broken up by an island. Index 1.5 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. About 19% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 0.4 mi end to end and 0.3 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Nipissing District. For a second option, North Oak Lake lies 1 mi northeast.
Start shallow in spring: brook trout sit in 2 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in the 10 ft range, good in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Spring yellow perch on Oak Lake hold shallow, usually 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. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — feeding flat, 10 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (46 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Fall smallmouth bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 20 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (20 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (20 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (44 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, pumpkinseed slide up into 1 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 10 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 18 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a feeding flat around 10 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Keep a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown bullhead in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 12 ft, wintering in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in the 10 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | open water |
4 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 46 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 Oak Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Oak Lake is about 46 ft (14 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1989 (a transect sounding survey).
Anglers target brook trout, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Oak 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.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Oak 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.
North Oak Lake 1 mi · Eu Lake 1 mi · Mossy Lake 1 mi · Whitespruce Lake 1 mi · Norah Lake 1 mi · Dace Lake 1 mi · Panther Lake 1 mi · West Harry Lake 1 mi · Thunder Lake 2 mi · Lupus Lake 2 mi · Tonakela Lake 2 mi · Namakootchie Lake 3 mi
See how Oak Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best brook trout lakes in Ontario · best pumpkinseed lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Nipissing District fishing maps (683 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.