Lake depth chart
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294-acre lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The lake tops out around 40 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 1969, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey). The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The outline encloses 293 acres, worked by 5.6 miles of shoreline. With a shoreline index of 2.4, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 98% of this chart. Figure 1.2 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.8 mi at the beam. Thunder Bay District claims this one. O'Neil Lake sits 6 mi northeast — the closest neighbouring chart.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake whitefish in 12 to 40 ft. The depth story barely changes: 12 to 40 ft through summer, 12 to 40 ft in winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 35 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. 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 | 12 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (10 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 12 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep basin (35 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (1 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (35 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 15 to 35 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Winter walleye concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 35 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. 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 | Main-lake point (2 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (35 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Deep basin (35 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (35 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 35 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. 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 | Shallow feeding flat (10 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (10 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (35 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (35 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 15 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 1 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in 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 | Shallow feeding flat (10 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (10 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (10 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
The chart marks 7 structure features on Wilkinson Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 35 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 Wilkinson Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ontario fishing regulations →
Wilkinson Lake is about 40 ft (12 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth data here comes from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1969, a decades-old survey (an MNRF lake survey).
Anglers target lake whitefish, walleye, yellow perch, northern pike on Wilkinson Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 35 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each 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 Wilkinson 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.
O'Neil Lake 6 mi · Dilla Lake 6 mi · Paint Lake 6 mi · Foxear Lake 6 mi · Beatty Lake 7 mi · Ida Lake 7 mi · Beaverpond L. 8 mi · Oxaline Lake 8 mi · Rolland Lake 9 mi · Noble Lake 10 mi · Blue Lake 10 mi · Windigokan Lake 12 mi
See how Wilkinson 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.