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727-acre lake in Rainy River District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 79 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 1978, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey). The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The drawn water covers 729 acres wrapped in 11.1 miles of bank, with 2 islands in the mix. The 2.9 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Roughly 59% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 2 mi, about 1.5 mi across. Rainy River District claims this one. Silvertip Lake sits 2 mi north — the closest neighbouring chart.
Early season lake trout use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Summer is a 24 to 79 ft game here, winter a 20 to 79 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 74 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
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 | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 24 to 79 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep basin (74 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 79 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (74 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Spring puts cisco (lake herring) in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 24 to 79 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 60 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 74 ft, rated prime for summer cisco (lake herring). Plan around early morning in the warm months. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic 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 | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 24 to 79 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (74 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 | Deep basin (74 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Shallow feeding flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 5 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (19 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 | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring northern pike on Roughstone Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 1 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Early season burbot use the shallows, holding in 25 to 70 ft. Summer is a 24 to 79 ft game here, winter a 15 to 60 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 74 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is after dark and midday. Tie on a heavy jig + cut bait and you're in the game.
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 | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (74 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 24 to 79 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | Deep basin (74 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 24 to 79 ft chart-limited; documented 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (74 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (74 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
7 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 74 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 Roughstone Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Roughstone Lake is about 79 ft (24 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1978, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey).
Anglers target lake trout, cisco (lake herring), yellow perch, northern pike, burbot on Roughstone Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 74 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For lake trout, 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 Roughstone 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.
Silvertip Lake 2 mi · Kenorain Lake 3 mi · Eric Lake 4 mi · Mount Lake 4 mi · Rutter Lake 5 mi · Sandbeach Lake 5 mi · Pettit Lake 5 mi · Roman Lake 6 mi · South Crook Lake 6 mi · Crook Lake 6 mi · Warren Lake 7 mi · L. 42 7 mi
See how Roughstone Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario · best burbot lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Rainy River District fishing maps (257 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.