Lake depth chart
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98-acre lake in Cochrane District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 26 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 1978, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey). The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Picker Lake maps at 97 acres behind 2.5 miles of shoreline. With a 1.8 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Call it 0.8 mi long by 0.4 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Cochrane District. Jackpine Lake sits 1 mi south — the closest neighbouring chart.
Start shallow in spring: cisco (lake herring) sit in 7 to 26 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 8 to 26 ft covers summer, 8 to 26 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 7 to 26 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (8 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 8 to 26 ft | dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (3 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 26 ft before dropping to 8 to 26 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 26 ft | dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
When the water first warms, northern pike slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 1 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Picker Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 8 ft down.
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 Picker Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Picker Lake is about 26 ft (8 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1978, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey).
Anglers target cisco (lake herring), yellow perch, northern pike on Picker Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Picker 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.
Jackpine Lake 1 mi · Chin Lake 3 mi · Lady Lake 5 mi · Terminal Lake 6 mi · Cabin Lake 8 mi · T-Bone L. 9 mi · Mawibuha Lake 10 mi · Mistango Lake 10 mi · Eno L. 10 mi · Wade Lake 11 mi · Freele Lake 11 mi · Sangster Lake 11 mi
See how Picker Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best cisco (lake herring) lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Cochrane District fishing maps (673 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps or 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.