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2,459-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 300 ft. The depth data here comes from a transect sounding survey by the Ontario MNRF. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Santoy Lake maps at 2,471 acres behind 17.2 miles of shoreline, with a single island in the mix. A development index of 2.5 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 6% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 6.6 mi with a 1.3-mi widest point. It sits in Thunder Bay District. Its nearest charted neighbour, Eric Lake, is 2 mi to the southwest.
When the water first warms, lake trout slide up into 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 37 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (37 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep basin (300 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (37 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (300 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Start shallow in spring: lake whitefish sit in 15 to 45 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 40 to 90 ft, and winter fish settle into 25 to 70 ft. The spot to know is Feeding flat, a feeding flat in about 80 ft of water that rates good for lake whitefish in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Feeding flat (80 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | open water | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Feeding flat (68 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 35 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. Fall walleye concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 37 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (37 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Main-lake point (37 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (37 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, northern pike slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a feeding flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage rigged through the warm months.
| 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 |
Santoy Lake carries 8 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 300 ft down.
Access data: Land Information Ontario — Fishing Access Point. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 Santoy Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Santoy Lake is about 300 ft (91 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from a transect sounding survey by the Ontario MNRF.
Anglers target lake trout, lake whitefish, walleye, northern pike on Santoy Lake.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 37 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Santoy 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.
Eric Lake 2 mi · Fishnet Lake 2 mi · Box Lake 3 mi · Diablo Lake 3 mi · Sister Lakes 6 mi · Bews Lake 8 mi · Cairngorm Lake 8 mi · Foxtrap Lake 9 mi · Craig Lake 10 mi · Found Lake 11 mi · Ducell Lake 12 mi · Davidson Lake 12 mi
See how Santoy Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Thunder Bay District fishing maps (662 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.