Lake depth chart
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66-acre lake in Bruce County, Ontario. The lake tops out around 3 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 a transect sounding survey by the Ontario MNRF. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Drawn out, this is 66 acres of water rimmed by 1.6 miles of bank. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.4) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. The basin spans about 0.5 mi end to end and 0.3 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Bruce County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Crane Lake, 1 mi southeast of here.
Spring yellow perch on Warder Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 3 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 1 to 3 ft in summer, 1 to 3 ft once it turns cold. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 1 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dawn | Deep basin (2 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Deep basin (2 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (2 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 1 to 3 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 1 to 3 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 3 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (2 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Break off the point (2 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 1 to 3 ft. Summer keeps them at 1 to 3 ft, and they winter in 1 to 3 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 1 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Break off the point (2 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, rock bass slide up into 1 to 3 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 1 to 3 ft, winter 1 to 3 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run the evening. Keep a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Break off the point (2 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Deep basin (2 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
When the water first warms, pumpkinseed slide up into 1 to 3 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 1 to 3 ft, winter 1 to 3 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 1 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown bullhead in 1 to 3 ft. The depth story barely changes: 1 to 3 ft through summer, 1 to 3 ft in winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for brown bullhead in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 3 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 3 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | |
| Fall | 1 to 3 ft | dusk | Deep basin (2 ft) | |
| Winter | 1 to 3 ft | midday | Deep basin (2 ft) |
Count 5 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Main-lake point, sits near 2 ft.
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 Warder Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Warder Lake is about 3 ft (1 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from a transect sounding survey by the Ontario MNRF.
Anglers target yellow perch, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Warder Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Warder 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.
Crane Lake 1 mi · Marley Lake 1 mi · Lower Andrew Lake 2 mi · Upper Andrew Lake 2 mi · George Lake 2 mi · Moore Lake 3 mi · Georgian Bay - Bruce Peninsula & Tobermory 3 mi · Emmett Lake 3 mi · Umbrella Lake 3 mi · Quenlin Lake 3 mi · Bartley Lake 4 mi · Conley Lake 4 mi
See how Warder Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ontario · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ontario · best yellow perch lakes in Ontario · best rock bass lakes in Ontario
More water nearby: Bruce County fishing maps (60 charts). Browse all Ontario fishing maps or 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.