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59,282-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 260 ft. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1972, a decades-old survey (a transect sounding survey). Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Sturgeon Lake maps at 59,374 acres behind 647.8 miles of shoreline — 722 islands included. An index of 19 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Roughly 33% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 35.4 mi, about 12.3 mi across. It sits in Thunder Bay District. If the bite dies, Six Mile Lake is 3 mi to the south.
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 Rock reef, a rock pile in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in fall. 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 | Break off the point (23 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Sharp break (83 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Rock reef (9 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (41 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Start shallow in spring: cisco (lake herring) sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 40 to 80 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 60 ft. The spot to know is Rock reef, a rock pile in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for cisco (lake herring) in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (23 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Sharp break (41 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (9 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Break off the point (23 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
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 Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 23 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 | Rock reef (9 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (23 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (23 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (23 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring puts sauger in skinny water — 4 to 18 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 15 to 45 ft. Spring sauger concentrate at Rock reef, a prime-rated rock pile around 9 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (9 ft) | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (23 ft) | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (23 ft) | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Break off the point (23 ft) | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (23 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (23 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (21 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
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 weed flat holding about 5 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 (5 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow flat (8 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (7 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Sturgeon Lake also holds rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), burbot (50 to 120 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 29 structure features on Sturgeon Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 200 ft.
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 Sturgeon Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Sturgeon Lake is about 260 ft (79 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1972, a decades-old survey (a transect sounding survey).
Anglers target lake whitefish, cisco (lake herring), walleye, sauger, yellow perch, northern pike, rock bass, burbot on Sturgeon Lake. This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species Ontario's MNRF recorded in the nearest surveyed lakes, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Rock reef is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For lake whitefish, 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 Sturgeon 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.
Six Mile Lake 3 mi · Jessie Lake 3 mi · Fourbay Lake 5 mi · Eady Lake 7 mi · Barge Lake 8 mi · Graystone Lake 8 mi · Dizzy Lake 8 mi · Paris Lake 9 mi · Princess Lake 9 mi · Ten Mile Lake 9 mi · Gibraltar Lake 9 mi · Post Lake 9 mi
See how Sturgeon Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best sauger lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch 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.