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46-acre lake in Parry Sound District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 37 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Traced from the shoreline, Schell Lake runs 46 acres with 1.3 miles of edge. Its 1.3 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. Roughly 32% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.5 mi with a 0.2-mi widest point. You'll find it in Parry Sound District. The nearest mapped water is Commanda Lake, 2 mi to the northeast.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brook trout in 2 to 15 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 3 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 17 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (17 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Start shallow in spring: splake sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 11 to 37 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 37 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 17 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a trolled spoon at the thermocline or a white tube jig (deep) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Small casting spoon (gold/orange), Inline spinner |
| Summer | 11 to 37 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (17 ft) | Trolled spoon at the thermocline, White tube jig (deep) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 8 to 37 ft | dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Jigging spoon tipped with minnow head, Small white tube |
Come spring, look for cisco (lake herring) tight to the bank in 9 to 37 ft. Through summer count on 11 to 37 ft; the winter hold is 11 to 37 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 31 ft that scores prime in spring. 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 | 9 to 37 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (31 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 11 to 37 ft | dawn | Deep basin (31 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft | dawn | Deep basin (31 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Spring walleye on Schell Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 11 to 37 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 17 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 11 to 37 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (17 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (31 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 11 to 37 ft for winter. Fall smallmouth bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 9 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (17 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft | midday | Break off the point (17 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (17 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (17 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
5 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 31 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 Schell Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Schell Lake is about 37 ft (11 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, splake, cisco (lake herring), walleye, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass on Schell Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for splake in summer. 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 Schell 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.
Commanda Lake 2 mi · Rausch Lake 2 mi · Pine Lake 2 mi · Rainy Lake 4 mi · Tilles Lake 4 mi · Little Rainy Lake 4 mi · Restoule Lake 4 mi · Kidd Lake 5 mi · Barton Lake 5 mi · Lower Merrick Lake 5 mi · Jack's Lake 5 mi · Crooked Lake 6 mi
See how Schell Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best walleye lakes in Ontario · best brook trout 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.