Lake depth chart
Today's read
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
573-acre lake in Timiskaming District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 87 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Traced from the shoreline, Sugar Lake runs 575 acres with 11.7 miles of edge. A development index of 3.5 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 41% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 2.3 mi long by 1.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Timiskaming District. The nearest mapped water is Goodfish Lake, 1 mi to the northwest.
In spring, lake trout run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 26 to 87 ft before dropping to 20 to 80 ft for winter. Summer lake trout concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 74 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 26 to 87 ft | dawn | Deep basin (74 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (74 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Spring lake whitefish on Sugar Lake hold shallow, usually 15 to 45 ft. They move out to 26 to 87 ft in summer and finish the year down in 25 to 70 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 74 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (39 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 26 to 87 ft | dawn | Deep basin (74 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (74 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (39 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (74 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| 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 |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 20 to 45 ft for winter. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (39 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring rock bass on Sugar Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 5 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 30 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 22 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run the evening. The summer box starts with a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (74 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Sugar Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 74 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 Sugar Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Sugar Lake is about 87 ft (27 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 lake trout, lake whitefish, yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, rock bass on Sugar Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 74 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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 Sugar 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.
Goodfish Lake 1 mi · Angler Lake 2 mi · Barter Lake 3 mi · Lady Evelyn L. 3 mi · Turner Lake 4 mi · Lady Evelyn Lake 4 mi · Dane L. 18 5 mi · Eagle Lake 5 mi · Slade Lake 5 mi · Shallow Lake 6 mi · High Falls Lake 6 mi · Sirdevan Lake 6 mi
See how Sugar Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake trout lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Timiskaming District fishing maps (515 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.