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35-acre lake in Rainy River District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 161 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The outline encloses 35 acres, worked by 2.6 miles of shoreline. The 3.1 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 34% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Figure 1 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.2 mi at the beam. It sits in Rainy River District. If the bite dies, Nickel Lake is 3 mi to the south.
In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 15 to 45 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 40 to 90 ft, and winter fish settle into 25 to 70 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 72 ft, rated prime for summer lake whitefish. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Break off the point (72 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | open water | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (72 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
In spring, cisco (lake herring) run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 40 to 80 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 60 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 72 ft, rated good for summer cisco (lake herring). Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Break off the point (72 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Break off the point (72 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 35 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 40 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (40 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Main-lake point (40 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (40 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: sauger in 4 to 18 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 15 to 45 ft. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | open water | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Rainy Lake also holds muskellunge (8 to 25 ft in summer), smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), burbot (50 to 120 ft in summer), lake sturgeon (15 to 40 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 6 structure features on Rainy Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 137 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 Rainy Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Rainy Lake is about 161 ft (49 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, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, burbot, lake sturgeon on Rainy Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
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 Rainy 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.
Nickel Lake 3 mi · Moosehorn Lake 3 mi · Poulson Lake 5 mi · Obikoba Lake 7 mi · Rainy Lake 8 mi, MN · Ottertail Lake 8 mi · Mainville Lake 10 mi · Cuttle Lake 10 mi · Big Sawbill Lake 12 mi · Tupman Lake 12 mi · Cherry Lake 14 mi · Weller Lake 14 mi
See how Rainy Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best walleye lakes in Ontario · best sauger lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Rainy River District fishing maps (257 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.