Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
53-acre lake in Haliburton County, Ontario. The lake tops out around 36 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 1967, a decades-old survey (a transect sounding survey). What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Traced from the shoreline, Pelaw Lake runs 53 acres with 1.8 miles of edge. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.8) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 40% of this chart. The basin spans about 0.7 mi end to end and 0.3 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Haliburton County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Blue Lake, 1 mi northwest of here.
In spring, brook trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 20 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for summer brook trout. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (30 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (30 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (36 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (36 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass 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 11 to 36 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 14 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
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 | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (7 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (30 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 11 to 36 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (30 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season rock bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 5 to 20 ft game here, winter a 12 to 30 ft one. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 14 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is the evening. Tie on a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (7 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Main-lake point (14 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | midday | Break off the point (30 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Early season pumpkinseed use the shallows, holding in 1 to 8 ft. Summer is a 2 to 10 ft game here, winter a 6 to 18 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Back-bay flat (8 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (8 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The chart marks 6 structure features on Pelaw Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 36 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 Pelaw Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Pelaw Lake is about 36 ft (11 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1967, a decades-old survey (a transect sounding survey).
Anglers target brook trout, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rock bass, pumpkinseed on Pelaw 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.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Pelaw 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.
Blue Lake 1 mi · Duck Lake 1 mi · Marsden Lake 2 mi · Macdonald Lake 2 mi · Dog Lake 2 mi · Clean Lake 2 mi · Spider Lake 2 mi · Redstone Lake 2 mi · Little Black Lake 3 mi · Cruiser Lake 3 mi · Little Kennisis Lake 3 mi · Wolf Lake 3 mi
See how Pelaw Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best brook trout lakes in Ontario · best rock bass lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Haliburton County fishing maps (295 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.