Deer Lake
Walleye opens Sat, May 16 — Deer Lake sits on the shore.
Deer Lake is the 11th-largest of 1,629 named lakes in Ontario Far North, with 489 miles of charted shoreline and 375 islands. Its 222 ft maximum depth is greater than 99% of depth-surveyed lakes in the region.
MNRF aquatic resource surveys
Fish species
Also present: Brook Stickleback, Burbot, Cisco, Deepwater Sculpin, Emerald Shiner, Greater Redhorse, Iowa Darter, Johnny Darter x Tesselated Darter, Logperch, Ninespine Stickleback, Spottail Shiner, Trout-Perch, White Sucker
On this water
Lodges & operators 0
No operators recorded on this lake yet. Know one? It may be listed under a nearby community — browse the map.
2026 regulations
Seasons & limitsFMZ 2
- Special limit on this water — : Refer to zone-wide seasons and limits · Refer to zone-wide seasons and limits · Live fish may not be used as bait or possessed for use as bait (All waters north of latitude of the 11th baseline (51°48’11”N.) and west of longitude 89°00’W.)
- Special limit on this water — Lake Sturgeon: Closed all year · Refer to zone-wide seasons and limits (All waters located within the portion of Zone 2 from the Ontario / Manitoba interprovincial boundary east along the line of 52°35’N. latitude, to the intersection with 93°50’W. longitude, thence south to the intersection with 52°10’N. latitude, thence east to the intersection with 92°10’W. longitude, thence south to the Zone 2 boundary, including all of the waters within Woodland Caribou Provincial Park; thence in a westerly direction to the Ontario/Manitoba interprovincial boundary, thence northerly to the intersection with 52°35’N. latitude.)
Ice-out here is typically mid May (modeled from regional ice records).
| Species | Season | Sport licence | Conservation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Trout | Jan. 1 - Sept. 30 | S - 2, not more than 1 greater than 56 cm (22 in.) from Sept. 1 - Sept. 30; no size limit rest of year | C - 1, any size |
| Lake Whitefish | Open all year | S - 12 | C - 6 |
| Northern Pike | Open all year | S - 4, none between 70 - 90 cm (27.6 - 35.4 in.), not more than 1 greater than 90 cm (35.4 in.) | C - 2, none between 70 - 90 cm (27.6 - 35.4 in.), not more than 1 greater than 90 cm (35.4 in.) |
| Walleye and Sauger or any combination | Jan. 1 - Apr. 14 & 3rd Sat. in May - Dec. 31 | S - 4, not more than 1 greater than 46 cm (18.1 in.) | C - 2, not more than 1 greater than 46 cm (18.1 in.) |
| Yellow Perch | Open all year | S - 50 | C - 25 |
Compiled from MNRF Recreational Fishing Regulations open data (2026 season, zone-wide rules shown for this lake's species). Regulations change by variation order — confirm with the official FMZ 2 summary before you fish.
Eating what you catch
Consumption advisories
Recommended meals per month from Ontario's fish contaminant monitoring — ranges span the tested fish sizes.
| Species | General | Sensitive* | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burbot (Ling) | 4 | 0–4 | Arsenic, Mercury |
| Lake Trout | 4–16 | 0–8 | Mercury |
| Lake Whitefish | 8–16 | 4–16 | Arsenic, Mercury |
| Northern Pike | 0–16 | 0–12 | Mercury |
| Walleye | 0–16 | 0–8 | Mercury |
| White Sucker | 16 | 4–16 | Mercury, PFAS |
*Women of child-bearing age and children under 15. Compiled from the MECP Guide to Eating Ontario Fish (2025 guide) — check the guide for size-specific advice before keeping fish.
Comparable trips
Similar water
Same region, overlapping species, comparable size.
- Birch Lake15 shared species · 28,067 ac
- Stull Lake14 shared species · 33,949 ac
- North Spirit Lake14 shared species · 16,351 ac
- Trout Lake14 shared species · 86,060 ac
- Echoing Lake14 shared species · 13,338 ac
Around this water