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44-acre lake in Parry Sound District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 33 ft. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1979, a decades-old survey (a transect sounding survey). What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Pickering Lake maps at 44 acres behind 1.6 miles of shoreline. With a 1.7 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. 40% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 0.6 mi end to end and 0.2 mi across at its widest. Parry Sound District claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Dyson Lake, is 1 mi to the north.
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 33 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. 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 (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (27 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 10 to 33 ft | midday | Deep basin (33 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 10 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (33 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: pumpkinseed in 1 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 10 ft before dropping to 6 to 18 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for pumpkinseed in spring. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) gets it done.
| 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 | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, brown bullhead slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 3 to 12 ft game here, winter a 10 to 25 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (33 ft) |
Pickering Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 33 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 Pickering Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Pickering Lake is about 33 ft (10 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1979, a decades-old survey (a transect sounding survey).
Anglers target yellow perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Pickering Lake.
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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For yellow perch, 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 Pickering 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.
Dyson Lake 1 mi · Gerow Lake 1 mi · Bruce Lake 1 mi · Little Lake Joseph 2 mi · Mirror Lake 2 mi · Draper Lake 2 mi · Hammell Lake 3 mi · Dick Lake 3 mi · Fair Lake 3 mi · Lake Joseph 3 mi · Lake Rosseau 3 mi · Sucker Lake 3 mi
See how Pickering Lake stacks up: best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best pumpkinseed lakes in Ontario · best brown bullhead lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Parry Sound District fishing maps (441 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.