Lake depth chart
Today's read
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
36-acre lake in Muskoka District Municipality, Ontario. The lake tops out around 31 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Traced from the shoreline, Shaw Lake runs 36 acres with 1.8 miles of edge. Index 2.1 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Roughly 55% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.7 mi with a 0.3-mi widest point. You'll find it in Muskoka District Municipality. The nearest mapped water is Hart Lake, 1 mi to the northeast.
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 9 to 31 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 26 ft, prime for fall. 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 | open water | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (26 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
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 9 to 31 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall 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 | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 31 ft | midday | Break off the point (14 ft) | Blade bait, 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 Break off the point: a drop-off around 14 ft that scores good in fall. 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 | open water | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: brown bullhead sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 12 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 26 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | open water | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | open water | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) |
Shaw Lake carries 4 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 26 ft down.
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 Shaw Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Shaw Lake is about 31 ft (9 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 yellow perch, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Shaw Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 26 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For yellow perch, 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 Shaw 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.
Hart Lake 1 mi · Lower Boleau Lake 1 mi · Narrow Lake 1 mi · Brotherson's Lake 2 mi · Woodland Lake 2 mi · Cain Lake 2 mi · Upper Boleau Lake 2 mi · Nine Mile Lake 3 mi · Bastedo Lake 3 mi · Boot Lake 4 mi · Tea Lake 4 mi · Rat Lake 4 mi
See how Shaw Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best pumpkinseed lakes in Ontario · best brown bullhead lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Muskoka District Municipality fishing maps (276 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.