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872-acre lake in Kenora District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 45 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Traced from the shoreline, Philcot Lake runs 870 acres with 7.2 miles of edge, with a single island in the mix. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.8) — enough points and pockets to pattern. About 67% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 1.7 mi long by 1.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Kenora District. The nearest mapped water is Kathlyn Lake, 3 mi to the east.
Early season cisco (lake herring) use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Summer is a 14 to 45 ft game here, winter a 14 to 45 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 38 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic and you're in the game.
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 | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (38 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 14 to 45 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (38 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (38 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
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 5 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 (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (20 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (38 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring puts burbot in skinny water — 14 to 45 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 14 to 45 ft, and winter fish hold in 11 to 45 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 38 ft, rated prime for spring burbot. Plan around after dark and midday in the warm months. A heavy jig + cut bait 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 | 14 to 45 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (38 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 14 to 45 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | Deep basin (38 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 14 to 45 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (38 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 11 to 45 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (38 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Philcot Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 38 ft down.
Access data: Geospatial Ontario - Fishing Access Points. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 Philcot Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Philcot Lake is about 45 ft (14 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 cisco (lake herring), yellow perch, northern pike, burbot on Philcot Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 38 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For cisco (lake herring), 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 Philcot 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.
Kathlyn Lake 3 mi · Troutfly Lake 4 mi · Gardnar Lake 6 mi · Hooch Lake 6 mi · Franciscan Lake 6 mi · Big Sandy Lake 7 mi · Laval Lake 7 mi · Centrefire Lake 7 mi · Bluett Lake 8 mi · Gullwing Lake 8 mi · Lapp Lake 9 mi · Six Mink Lake 9 mi
See how Philcot Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best burbot lakes in Ontario · best cisco (lake herring) lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Kenora District fishing maps (1173 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.