Balsam Lake
44.5804° N, 78.8417° W
Depth contours from the 1967 government survey. Not for navigation.
Download the depth map (SVG)Balsam Lake, Ontario. 44.5804° N, 78.8417° W
Maximum depth 12.2 m (1967 survey). Scale bar on the map.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
borealbound.ca/lakes/on/balsam-lake/, compiled October 9, 2026
- Canadian Geographical Names Database, Natural Resources Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
- HydroLAKES v1.0, Messager et al. 2016 / WWF HydroSHEDS. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Census boundaries and population, 2021, Statistics Canada. Adapted from Statistics Canada. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada.
- Aquatic Resource Area survey points, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
- Fishing access points, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
- Fisheries Management Zones, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
- Lake Partner Program, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
- Bathymetry lines and survey index, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
- City page weather forecasts and alerts, Environment and Climate Change Canada. Contains data from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC Data Servers End-use Licence).
- Air Quality Health Index observations and forecasts, Environment and Climate Change Canada. Contains data from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC Data Servers End-use Licence).
- Guide to Eating Ontario Fish: Advisory Database, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
- Photographs, Wikimedia Commons contributors. Each photo carries its own licence (CC0, public domain, CC BY or CC BY-SA), credited where shown.
Balsam Lake is 12.2 m deep at its deepest point, shallower than 65% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 47.7 km² and lies beside Kawartha Lakes.
Government surveys have recorded 21 fish species here, including walleye, smallmouth bass and rock bass.
- Maximum depth
- 12.2 msurveyed 1967
- shallower than 65% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Area
- 47.7 km²
- larger than 99% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Shoreline
- 84.1 km
- longer than 98% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Water clarity
- 4.3 mSecchi depth, 2025
- clearer than 69% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
- Fish species
- 21
- more than 97% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Elevation
- 253 m
Today on the water
6.8 °C
Observed at Kawartha Lakes (Fenelon Falls), as of 3:00 a.m. EDT
choppy Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.5 m. Around 12 p.m., wind from the northwest: the northwest shore is sheltered, waves build toward the southeast shore.
| Time | 4 a.m. | 7 a.m. | 10 a.m. | 1 p.m. | 4 p.m. | 7 p.m. | 10 p.m. | 1 a.m. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind km/h | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | NW 30 | NW 30 | NW 15 | var. 5 | var. 5 |
| Gusts km/h | 50 | 50 | ||||||
| Waves (est.) m | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | ||||
| Temp. °C | 4 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 3 |
| Precip. % | 20 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
Tonight: Partly cloudy. 60 percent chance of showers this evening. Risk of a thunderstorm early this evening. Wind west 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming light this evening. Low plus 4.
Weather: Kawartha Lakes (Fenelon Falls) (local forecast), as of 3:02 a.m. EDT
Sun and moon
- Civil dawn
- 6:53 a.m.
- Sunrise
- 7:23 a.m.
- Sunset
- 6:41 p.m.
- Civil dusk
- 7:10 p.m.
- Moonrise
- 6:15 a.m.
- Moonset
- 5:59 p.m.
- Moon
- Waning crescent, 1% lit
Air Quality Health Index
2 low risk
Peterborough, as of 2:00 a.m. EDT
Follow this lake by email: a weekly summary of conditions.
Depth
52% of Balsam Lake is deeper than 5 m.
How to read it: the lake’s area is sorted from the shore to the deepest point. Where the curve is flat, large areas share one depth (flats and weed beds); where it drops, depth changes quickly (drop-offs).
The government depth survey from 1967 records a maximum depth of 12.2 m, drawn from 42 depth contours.
- Download the depth map (SVG)Printing this page gives the map on one sheet, with scale and sources.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
Fish
Sport fish by the share of the 56 government surveys (2004–2013) that recorded them.
Forage fish and other species (10)
Forage fish
- Spottail Shiner 9
- Bluntnose Minnow 6
- Golden Shiner 5
- Logperch 4
- Brook Silverside 2
- Emerald Shiner 2
- Central Mudminnow 1
- Common Shiner 1
Other
- White Sucker 8
- Brown Bullhead 3
Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.
Eating your catch
The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 12 species from Balsam Lake. Maximum meals per month:
| Species | Length | General population | Sensitive population* | Contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | 20-25 cm | 12 | 12 | PCB |
| Bluegill | 15-20 cm | 16 | 16 | Precautionary |
| Largemouth Bass | 30-35 cm | 16 | 8 | Mercury |
| Muskellunge | >75 cm | 4 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| Northern Pike | 55-60 cm | 16 | 16 | Precautionary |
| Pumpkinseed | 15-20 cm | 16 | 16 | Precautionary |
| Rock Bass | 15-20 cm | 16 | 8 | Mercury |
| Smallmouth Bass | 35-40 cm | 16 | 4 | Mercury |
| Walleye | 40-45 cm | 16 | 8 | Mercury |
| Yellow Perch | 20-25 cm | 16 | 16 | Precautionary |
| Brown Bullhead | 25-30 cm | 16 | 16 | Precautionary |
| Common Carp | 55-60 cm | 16 | 16 | PCB |
* As defined in the guide, including children and people who are or may become pregnant. Limits are for the length the guide lists most often; they change with the size of the fish. Read the official guide
Fishing regulations: Fisheries Management Zone 17. Check seasons and limits before you fish.
Water
Clarity was measured with a Secchi disk in 30 years between 1996 and 2025; the latest annual mean is 4.3 m.
Getting on the water
3 listed boat launches; 3 with parking listed. marks launches on the map.
North shore
- Balsam Lake Provincial Park
East shore
- Coldstream Road
West shore
- Balsam Lake Drive
Photos
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Follow this lake
Every Friday by email: the Environment Canada forecast and any weather alerts in effect.