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341-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 26 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 the Ontario MNRF survey of 1960, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey). Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
The drawn water covers 342 acres wrapped in 11.7 miles of bank, with a single island in the mix. With a shoreline index of 4.5, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. About 98% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 3.4 mi with a 0.7-mi widest point. It sits in Thunder Bay District. Jolly Lake sits 2 mi east — the closest neighbouring chart.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake whitefish in 8 to 26 ft. The depth story barely changes: 8 to 26 ft through summer, 8 to 26 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 20 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon 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 | 8 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (1 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 8 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 7 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (1 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 26 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 26 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 20 ft, rated prime for winter walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
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 | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 8 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 26 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 26 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 20 ft range, prime in fall. 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 | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 1 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 20 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Vandenbrooks Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Vandenbrooks Lake is about 26 ft (8 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1960, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey).
Anglers target lake whitefish, walleye, yellow perch, northern pike on Vandenbrooks Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Vandenbrooks 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.
Jolly Lake 2 mi · Legris Lake 3 mi · Rinker Lake 3 mi · Camp Lake 4 mi · Lac des Iles 5 mi · Sauerbrei Lake 6 mi · Heaven Lake 9 mi · Whistle Lake 10 mi · Poshkokagan Lake 11 mi · Rousseau Lake 11 mi · Whitefin Lake 12 mi · Starnes Lake 13 mi
See how Vandenbrooks Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Ontario · best northern pike lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best lake whitefish lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Thunder Bay District fishing maps (662 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.