Lake depth chart
Today's read
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
192-acre lake in Kenora District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 98 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Drawn out, this is 191 acres of water rimmed by 3.5 miles of bank. Index 1.8 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Roughly 21% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 1 mi, about 0.7 mi across. You'll find it in Kenora District. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Schistose Lake, 2 mi southeast of here.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake trout in 10 to 40 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 29 to 98 ft before dropping to 20 to 80 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 83 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
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 (25 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 29 to 98 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep basin (83 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (25 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (83 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Come spring, look for cisco (lake herring) tight to the bank in 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 40 to 80 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 60 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 83 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (44 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (83 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 | Break off the point (44 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| 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 | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (44 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for pumpkinseed tight to the bank in 1 to 8 ft. They move out to 2 to 10 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 18 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 83 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 Sandhill Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Sandhill Lake is about 98 ft (30 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 trout, cisco (lake herring), yellow perch, northern pike, pumpkinseed on Sandhill Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 83 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Sandhill 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.
Schistose Lake 2 mi · South Otterskin L. 2 mi · Aremis Lake 3 mi · Brooks Lake 4 mi · Athos Lake 4 mi · Derby Lake 4 mi · Otterskin Lake 4 mi · Phinney Lake 4 mi · Anstey Lake 5 mi · Britton Lake 5 mi · Bartley Lake 6 mi · Katimiagamak Lake 6 mi
See how Sandhill Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario · best cisco (lake herring) lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Kenora District fishing maps (1173 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps. 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.