Paint Lake Depth Map (Muskoka District Municipality, ON)

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Lake depth chart

Paint Lake, ON

Max 72 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Hopper & ant season (windward banks) window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Hopper & ant season (windward banks)Active window

Typical here: Jul 1 – Sep 15 · hoppers peak July–August; winged-ant falls show up on warm humid afternoons — a wind event, not a hatch

adultwarm, breezy afternoons, roughly 1–5pm — slap the imitation down hard — the splat is the trigger — then wait; count to three after the rise before setting

Work the windward bank on breezy summer afternoons — that's where the food is. Casting-bubble-and-hopper is the direct translation; otherwise run small topwaters and inline spinners tight along the grass edges and blowdown banks in the afternoon warmth.

The event happens over windward grassy banks, overhanging brush and blowdowns — wherever the breeze dumps the bugs

Fall shiner runActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Oct 31 · same push on the Ontario side — Simcoe's shiners migrate shallow as the water cools, and the predators ride with them

adultdaylight for the jig bite; after dark the shiners stack under dock lights with walleyes and pike mixed right in — follow the bait, not the spot — millions of shiners move together and the predators ride with them; silver profile and flash matter

Concentrates hard but travels — the school (and the walleyes under it) can be off a river mouth one week and miles upriver the next.

Jig-and-minnow is the event's signature — a frozen emerald shiner on a 1/4 oz jig drifted along the run; silver jerkbaits and trolled crankbaits take the roaming fish; blade baits under the schools.

The event happens over river mouths and the first miles upriver, warming shallow shorelines, and rocky points where the displaced bait stacks

Next on this water

Hex (giant mayfly) · mayflyMay 25 – Aug 10 · in ~9 months

June mayfly hatch (walleye lakes) · mayflyJun 1 – Aug 10 · in ~9 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Paint Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Paint Lake on the board.

Fishing Paint Lake: what the data says

346-acre lake in Muskoka District Municipality, Ontario. The lake tops out around 72 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.

Drawn out, this is 345 acres of water rimmed by 5.6 miles of bank — one island included. An index of 2.2 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 46% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Figure 1.3 mi of water from one end to the other, 1.2 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Muskoka District Municipality. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Wolfkin Lake, 1 mi north of here.

Lake Whitefish fishing at Paint Lake

Spring lake whitefish on Paint Lake hold shallow, usually 15 to 45 ft. They move out to 22 to 72 ft in summer and finish the year down in 25 to 70 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 61 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	15 to 45 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (32 ft)	Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small)
Summer	22 to 72 ft	dawn	Deep basin (61 ft)	Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon
Fall	8 to 30 ft	dusk	Main-lake point (18 ft)	Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva
Winter	25 to 70 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (61 ft)	Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie

Yellow Perch fishing at Paint Lake

When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run 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)

Northern Pike fishing at Paint Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Paint Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 20 to 45 ft for winter. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 18 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.

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 (18 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (18 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Break off the point (32 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Largemouth Bass fishing at Paint Lake

Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (18 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (32 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Rock Bass fishing at Paint Lake

Spring rock bass on Paint Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 5 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 30 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 18 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run the evening. The summer box starts with a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	midday & dawn	open water	1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner
Summer	5 to 20 ft	dusk	Main-lake point (18 ft)	Ned rig (small), Marabou jig
Fall	8 to 22 ft	midday	Main-lake point (18 ft)	Small tube jig, Inline spinner
Winter	12 to 30 ft	midday	Break off the point (32 ft)	Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike

Paint Lake also holds pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), burbot (22 to 72 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

The chart marks 6 structure features on Paint Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 61 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 61 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 32 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 18 ft
Secondary point: point, around 18 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Paint Lake — ramp (natural)

Access data: Geospatial Ontario - Fishing Access Points. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Paint Lake fishing regulations

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 Paint Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Paint Lake?

Paint 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.

What fish are in Paint Lake?

Anglers target lake whitefish, yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, burbot on Paint Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Paint Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 61 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Paint Lake?

For lake whitefish, 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Paint Lake?

Fishing on Paint 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.

Nearby waters

Wolfkin Lake 1 mi · Blue Chalk Lake 1 mi · Mink Lake 2 mi · Horners Lake 2 mi · Fly Lake 2 mi · Shoe Lake 2 mi · Red Chalk Lake 2 mi · Tom Lake 2 mi · Chub Lake 2 mi · Roundabout Lake 2 mi · Insula Lake 2 mi · Longline Lake 3 mi

See how Paint Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario

More water nearby: Muskoka District Municipality fishing maps (276 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps or 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.