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506-acre lake in Parry Sound District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 48 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Drawn out, this is 505 acres of water rimmed by 8.7 miles of bank. A development index of 2.8 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. About 35% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.8 mi with a 1.2-mi widest point. The water lies in Parry Sound District. The nearest mapped water is Wolfe Lake, 1 mi to the north.
Spring lake whitefish on Ruth Lake hold shallow, usually 15 to 45 ft. By summer they slide out to 14 to 48 ft, and by winter most fish are in 14 to 48 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 41 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (22 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 14 to 48 ft | dawn | Deep basin (41 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (22 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 14 to 48 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (41 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Spring cisco (lake herring) on Ruth Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 14 to 48 ft, and by winter most fish are in 14 to 48 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 41 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (41 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 14 to 48 ft | dawn | Deep basin (41 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (22 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 14 to 48 ft | dawn | Deep basin (41 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 15 to 35 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 22 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (12 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (22 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (22 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (41 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 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.
| 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 | Break off the point (22 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (22 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (41 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 12 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (22 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (12 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (22 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 41 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 Ruth Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Ruth Lake is about 48 ft (15 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, yellow perch, smallmouth bass on Ruth Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 41 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 Ruth 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.
Wolfe Lake 1 mi · McQuaby Lake 3 mi · Reservoir L. 6 mi · Barton Lake 7 mi · Mandeville Lake 7 mi · South River 7 mi · Bray Lake 8 mi · Tilles Lake 8 mi · King Lake 9 mi · Love Lake 9 mi · Commanda Lake 9 mi · Sand Lake 10 mi
See how Ruth Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best walleye lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Parry Sound District fishing maps (441 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps or 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.