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182-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 23 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Traced from the shoreline, Ranger Lake runs 186 acres with 5.3 miles of edge, broken up by an island. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 2.8) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 88% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 1.3 mi, about 0.6 mi across. The water lies in Thunder Bay District. The nearest mapped water is Hillside Lake, 1 mi to the southeast.
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 23 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 23 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.
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 | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 7 to 23 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 7 to 23 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 7 to 23 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (10 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
In spring, burbot run shallow here, mostly 7 to 23 ft. Summer keeps them at 7 to 23 ft, and they winter in 6 to 23 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 20 ft, rated prime for spring burbot. Time it for after dark and midday. You won't need more than a heavy jig + cut bait most summer days.
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 | 7 to 23 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (20 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 7 to 23 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 7 to 23 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (20 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 6 to 23 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (20 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Ranger Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 20 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 Ranger Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Ranger Lake is about 23 ft (7 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 yellow perch, northern pike, burbot on Ranger 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each 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 Ranger 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.
Hillside Lake 1 mi · Koval Lake 4 mi · Little Savant Lake 6 mi · Jabez Lake 9 mi · Painter L. 11 mi · Sassenach Lake 13 mi · Savant Lake 13 mi · Neverfreeze Lake 14 mi · Velos Lake 14 mi · Hazel Lake 14 mi · Fitchie Lake 15 mi · Elga L. 15 mi
See how Ranger Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best burbot lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Thunder Bay District fishing maps (662 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.