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2,604-acre lake in Kenora District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 70 ft. The depth data here comes from a transect sounding survey by the Ontario MNRF. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The drawn water covers 2,616 acres wrapped in 25.8 miles of bank, with 8 islands in the mix. A development index of 3.6 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. 48% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 5.6 mi long by 2.7 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Kenora District. Its nearest charted neighbour, Unexpected Lake, is 3 mi to the west.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake whitefish in 15 to 45 ft. As the season builds they drop to 21 to 70 ft, wintering in 25 to 70 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 66 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (36 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 21 to 70 ft | dawn | Deep basin (66 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Rock reef (7 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (66 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: cisco (lake herring) in 10 to 40 ft. As the season builds they drop to 21 to 70 ft, wintering in 20 to 60 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 66 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (36 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 21 to 70 ft | dawn | Deep basin (66 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (7 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Deep basin (66 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Sharp break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 36 ft, rated prime for fall 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (7 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Sharp break (36 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Sharp break (36 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Sharp break (36 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, sauger run shallow here, mostly 4 to 18 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 45 ft. Rock reef is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring sauger. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (7 ft) | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (36 ft) | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Sharp break (36 ft) | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Sharp break (36 ft) | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Weed flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (36 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (36 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 Weed flat: a weed flat around 6 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 | Weed flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Weed flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Count 12 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 66 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 Wilcox Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Wilcox Lake is about 70 ft (21 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from a transect sounding survey by the Ontario MNRF.
Anglers target lake whitefish, cisco (lake herring), walleye, sauger, yellow perch, northern pike on Wilcox Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 66 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Wilcox 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.
Unexpected Lake 3 mi · Oak Lake 5 mi · Goose Lake 6 mi · Al's L. 7 mi · Longlegged River 8 mi · Schroeml Lake 9 mi · Wegg Lake 10 mi · Maynard Lake 11 mi · Overnight L. 11 mi · Conifer Lake 12 mi · Fatty Lake 13 mi · Columbus L. 14 mi
See how Wilcox 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: Kenora District fishing maps (1173 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.