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3,101-acre lake in Rainy River District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 66 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Turtle Lake maps at 3,107 acres behind 32.3 miles of shoreline — 7 islands included. With a shoreline index of 4.1, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 29% of this chart, as modeled. Figure 5.9 mi of water from one end to the other, 2.4 mi at the beam. Rainy River District claims this one. If the bite dies, Clearwater West Lake is 5 mi to the northwest.
When the water first warms, lake trout slide up into 10 to 40 ft. Summer is a 20 to 66 ft game here, winter a 17 to 66 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 56 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger 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 | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (17 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 20 to 66 ft chart-limited; documented 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep basin (56 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (14 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 17 to 66 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (56 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Start shallow in spring: lake whitefish sit in 15 to 45 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 20 to 66 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 66 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 56 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon 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 | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (30 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 20 to 66 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep basin (56 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Offshore hump (14 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 20 to 66 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (56 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. Warm water sends them out to 20 to 66 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 60 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 56 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic 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 | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (14 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 20 to 66 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (56 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (14 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (56 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Time it for the evening and early morning. 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 | Shoreline point (6 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (14 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (30 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (30 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning. 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 (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (30 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (30 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (14 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
When the water first warms, northern pike slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (13 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 |
Turtle Lake also holds smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), burbot (20 to 66 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 11 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 56 ft.
Access data: Geospatial Ontario - Fishing Access Points. 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 Turtle Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Turtle Lake is about 66 ft (20 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, cisco (lake herring), walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, burbot on Turtle Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 56 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated 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 Turtle 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.
Clearwater West Lake 5 mi · Williamson Lake 5 mi · Knight Lake 5 mi · Crowrock Lake 5 mi · Hawknest Lake 6 mi · Style Lake 6 mi · Dovetail Lake 6 mi · Caldwell Lake 6 mi · Dragon Lake 7 mi · Sunshine Lake 7 mi · Nevison Lake 7 mi · Another Lake 7 mi
See how Turtle Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Rainy River District fishing maps (257 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps. 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.