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6,084-acre lake in Sudbury District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 33 ft. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1978, a decades-old survey (a transect sounding survey). Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Drawn out, this is 6,112 acres of water rimmed by 93.3 miles of bank, broken up by 96 islands. A development index of 8.5 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. About 82% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 8.3 mi with a 3.7-mi widest point. You'll find it in Sudbury District. The nearest mapped water is Pebonishewi Lake, 4 mi to the east.
When the water first warms, lake whitefish slide up into 10 to 33 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 10 to 33 ft, winter 10 to 33 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 31 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | Gravel shoal (5 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 10 to 33 ft | dawn | Deep basin (31 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Gravel shoal (5 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 10 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (31 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
When the water first warms, cisco (lake herring) slide up into 8 to 33 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 10 to 33 ft, winter 10 to 33 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 31 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 33 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (31 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 10 to 33 ft | dawn | Deep basin (31 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Gravel shoal (5 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 10 to 33 ft | dawn | Deep basin (31 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Spring yellow perch on Rice Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 33 ft. Put Weed flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (31 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 10 to 33 ft | midday | Deep basin (31 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 10 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (31 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (18 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (18 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Weed flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
13 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 31 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Rice Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Rice Lake is about 33 ft (10 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1978, a decades-old survey (a transect sounding survey).
Anglers target lake whitefish, cisco (lake herring), yellow perch, northern pike on Rice Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 31 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Rice 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.
Pebonishewi Lake 4 mi · Rae Lake 4 mi · Mallard Lake 5 mi · Opeepeesway Lake 7 mi · Rush Lake 7 mi · Wolf Lake 7 mi · Northpoint Lake 8 mi · Somme Lake 8 mi · Schou Lake 8 mi · Whalsom Lake 9 mi · Neville Lake 10 mi · Yeo Lake 10 mi
See how Rice Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario · best cisco (lake herring) lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Sudbury District fishing maps (868 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.