Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
97-acre lake in Bruce County, Ontario. The lake tops out around 3 ft. The depth chart comes from Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The depth data here comes from a transect sounding survey by the Ontario MNRF. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The drawn water covers 98 acres wrapped in 3.5 miles of bank, broken up by an island. With a shoreline index of 2.6, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. The basin spans about 0.9 mi end to end and 0.6 mi across at its widest. It sits in Bruce County. If the bite dies, Georgian Bay - Bruce Peninsula & Tobermory is 5 mi to the east.
These fish are listed in an exact-water agency record as forage or ecological context. They are not target-species profiles and do not affect DepthScout's Prime, Good, or Fair spot ratings.
Official Ontario MNRF Fish ON-Line record. The listing documents source-recorded presence, not present abundance or guaranteed catchability.
Spring brook trout on Scugog Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 3 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 1 to 3 ft in summer, 1 to 3 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 3 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm.
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 | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (3 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Deep basin (3 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 1 to 3 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 1 to 3 ft covers summer, 1 to 3 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
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 | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (3 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (3 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (3 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 1 to 3 ft. Through summer count on 1 to 3 ft; the winter hold is 1 to 3 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.
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 | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 1 to 3 ft. Through summer count on 1 to 3 ft; the winter hold is 1 to 3 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 2 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
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 | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (2 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (2 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 1 to 3 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 1 to 3 ft, winter 1 to 3 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
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 | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (2 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rock bass in 1 to 3 ft. The depth story barely changes: 1 to 3 ft through summer, 1 to 3 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 2 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for the evening. Summer baits: a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig 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 | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (2 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (3 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Scugog Lake also holds pumpkinseed (1 to 3 ft in summer), brown bullhead (1 to 3 ft in summer), common carp (1 to 3 ft in summer), bowfin (1 to 3 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Shallow bay flat at roughly 3 ft.
Access data: Geospatial Ontario - Fishing Access Points; Government of Ontario - MNR Unpatented Crown Land Shoreline; Government of Ontario - MNR Unpatented Crown Land Shoreline. 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 Scugog Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Scugog Lake is about 3 ft (1 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from a transect sounding survey by the Ontario MNRF.
Anglers target brook trout, yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, common carp, bowfin on Scugog 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. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Scugog 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.
Georgian Bay - Bruce Peninsula & Tobermory 5 mi · George Lake 6 mi · Horseshoe Marsh 6 mi · Warder Lake 7 mi · Cameron Lake 7 mi · Crane Lake 7 mi · Bartley Lake 7 mi · Marley Lake 7 mi · Miller Lake 7 mi · Lower Andrew Lake 7 mi · Emmett Lake 7 mi · Cyprus Lake 8 mi
See how Scugog Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Bruce County fishing maps (60 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.