Lake depth chart
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6-acre pond in Elgin County, Ontario. The lake tops out around 9 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The drawn water covers 6 acres wrapped in 0.6 miles of bank. With a 1.7 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Elgin County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, St. Thomas Reservoir, is 6 mi to the north.
Spring brook trout on Sanders Pond hold shallow, usually 1 to 9 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 9 ft in summer, 1 to 9 ft once it turns cold. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 8 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (8 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 1 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 1 to 9 ft | dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 2 to 9 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 9 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 9 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 4 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (4 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 9 ft | dawn | Break off the point (4 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 9 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 9 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 9 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (4 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Break off the point (4 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 9 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 9 ft, winter 3 to 9 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 8 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (4 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Break off the point (4 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, bluegill slide up into 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 2 to 9 ft game here, winter a 3 to 9 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | open water | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Break off the point (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: pumpkinseed in 1 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 9 ft before dropping to 3 to 9 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for pumpkinseed in winter. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | open water | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Sanders Pond also holds brown bullhead (2 to 9 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 3 structure features on Sanders Pond; the deepest is Main-lake point at about 8 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 Sanders Pond specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Sanders Pond is about 9 ft (3 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 brook trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Sanders Pond.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Sanders Pond 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.
St. Thomas Reservoir 6 mi · Springwater Pond 8 mi · Pond Mills 17 mi · Foster Ponds 17 mi · Lake Whittaker 18 mi · Mill Pond 20 mi · Fanshawe Lake 24 mi · Deer Cr. Re. 31 mi · Sunova Lake 34 mi · Lake Hunger 39 mi · Cooley Pond 42 mi · Waterford Ponds (Middle Pond) 46 mi
See how Sanders Pond stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best bluegill lakes in Ontario · best rainbow trout lakes in Ontario
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.