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1,637-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 36 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Palette L. maps at 1,638 acres behind 14.8 miles of shoreline, with a single island in the mix. An index of 2.6 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 63% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 3.3 mi, about 1.3 mi across. It sits in Thunder Bay District. If the bite dies, Cutstone Lake is 2 mi to the northwest.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake whitefish in 11 to 36 ft. The depth story barely changes: 11 to 36 ft through summer, 11 to 36 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 31 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon 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 | 11 to 36 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 11 to 36 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep basin (31 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 11 to 36 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (31 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: cisco (lake herring) in 9 to 36 ft. The depth story barely changes: 11 to 36 ft through summer, 11 to 36 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 31 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 | 9 to 36 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (31 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 11 to 36 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (31 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 11 to 36 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (31 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 11 to 36 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 16 ft, rated prime for fall 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 | Main-lake point (9 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 11 to 36 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (16 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 11 to 36 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (31 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, sauger run shallow here, mostly 4 to 18 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 11 to 36 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 31 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 | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 11 to 36 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Deep basin (31 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 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 4 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (31 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (31 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 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 31 ft.
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 Palette L. specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Palette L. is about 36 ft (11 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.
Anglers target lake whitefish, cisco (lake herring), walleye, sauger, yellow perch, northern pike on Palette L..
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 31 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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.
Fishing on Palette L. 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.
Cutstone Lake 2 mi · Mattawa Lake 4 mi · Mottle L. 5 mi · Queer L. 5 mi · Bell Lake 5 mi · Willow L. 5 mi · Eva Lake 9 mi · Glitter L. 9 mi · Darkwater Lake 10 mi · English Lake 12 mi · Crystal Lake 12 mi · Post Lake 13 mi
See how Palette L. 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: Thunder Bay District fishing maps (662 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps. 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.