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28-acre lake in Renfrew County, Ontario. The lake tops out around 18 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:
On the chart, Rutherford Lake draws 29 acres inside 1.1 miles of shoreline. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.5) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Roughly 68% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 0.4 mi, about 0.2 mi across. The water lies in Renfrew County. The nearest mapped water is Mackenzie Lake, 1 mi to the east.
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 18 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 18 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.
| 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 | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts brown bullhead in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 12 ft, wintering in 5 to 18 ft. Winter brown bullhead concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 15 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Deep basin (15 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) |
The chart marks 4 structure features on Rutherford Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 15 ft.
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 Rutherford Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Rutherford Lake is about 18 ft (5 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, brown bullhead on Rutherford 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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Rutherford 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.
Mackenzie Lake 1 mi · Mill Lake 1 mi · Long Lake 2 mi · Centre Lake 3 mi · Thomas Lake 4 mi · Whichway Lake 4 mi · Maunsell Lake 4 mi · Corry Lake 5 mi · Gwatkin Lake 6 mi · Survey Lake 6 mi · Young Lake 6 mi · Sturgeon Lake 6 mi
See how Rutherford Lake stacks up: best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best brown bullhead lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Renfrew County fishing maps (298 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.