Lake depth chart
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40-acre lake in Nipissing District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 16 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 1990 (a transect sounding survey). Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Drawn out, this is 40 acres of water rimmed by 1 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.2 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 88% of this chart. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.4 mi with a 0.3-mi widest point. You'll find it in Nipissing District. For a second option, Lupus Lake lies 1 mi south.
Spring puts brook trout in skinny water — 2 to 15 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 16 ft, wintering in 2 to 16 ft. Summer brook trout concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 16 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm 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 | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 2 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 5 to 16 ft game here, winter a 5 to 16 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run 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 (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 16 ft before dropping to 5 to 16 ft for winter. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
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 | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (13 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (13 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring pumpkinseed on Red Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. They move out to 2 to 10 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 16 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly).
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 | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts brown bullhead in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 12 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 16 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 16 ft, rated prime for winter brown bullhead. Plan around after dark and the evening in 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 | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Deep basin (16 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) |
Red Lake carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 16 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 Red Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Red Lake is about 16 ft (5 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1990 (a transect sounding survey).
Anglers target brook trout, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Red Lake. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species Ontario's MNRF recorded in the nearest surveyed lakes, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 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 brook trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Red 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.
Lupus Lake 1 mi · Thunder Lake 2 mi · West Harry Lake 2 mi · Tonakela Lake 2 mi · Panther Lake 2 mi · Little Drummer Lake 2 mi · Mossy Lake 2 mi · Drummer Lake 2 mi · North Oak Lake 2 mi · Namakootchie Lake 2 mi · Tern Lake 3 mi · Dace Lake 3 mi
See how Red Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best brook trout lakes in Ontario · best pumpkinseed lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Nipissing District fishing maps (683 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps. 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.