Map of Baptiste Lake with depth contours

Baptiste Lake

45.1165° N, 78.0034° W

Depth contours from the 1968 government survey. Not for navigation.

Download the depth map (SVG)

Baptiste Lake is 30.5 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 79% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 23.3 km² and lies beside Baptiste.

Government surveys have recorded 17 fish species here, including cisco, smallmouth bass and yellow perch.

Maximum depth
30.5 msurveyed 1968
deeper than 79% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Area
23.3 km²
larger than 98% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Shoreline
109 km
longer than 98% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Water clarity
4.1 mSecchi depth, 2025
clearer than 65% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
Fish species
17
more than 93% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Elevation
350 m

Today on the water

4.9 °C

Wind calm

Observed at Haliburton, as of 3:00 a.m. EDT

choppy Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.3 m. Around 12 p.m., wind from the northwest: the northwest shore is sheltered, waves build toward the southeast shore.

Hourly forecast, next 24 hours
Time4 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/hW 15W 15W 15NW 30NW 30NW 15var. 5var. 5
Gusts km/h5050
Waves (est.) m0.20.20.20.3
Temp. °C34811131051
Precip. %20404040202000

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 3.

Weather: Haliburton (local forecast), as of 3:00 a.m. EDT

Sun and moon

Civil dawn
6:50 a.m.
Sunrise
7:20 a.m.
Sunset
6:37 p.m.
Civil dusk
7:06 p.m.
Moonrise
6:12 a.m.
Moonset
5:55 p.m.
Moon
Waning crescent, 1% lit

Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada. Local times.

How waves are estimated

Significant wave height from the forecast hourly wind and the open-water distance (fetch) upwind, using the SMB method (US Army Corps of Engineers Shore Protection Manual, 1984), rounded up to the next 0.1 m. It is not a measurement: gusts, leftover swell and shoals can make water rougher. Under 0.2 m: calm; 0.2–0.5 m: choppy; over 0.5 m: rough.

Depth

57% of Baptiste Lake is shallower than 3 m, and 14% is deeper than 10 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 1968 records a maximum depth of 30.5 m, drawn from 42 depth contours.

Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.

Fish

Sport fish by the share of the 23 government surveys (2011–2011) that recorded them.

  • Cisco12 of 23
  • Smallmouth Bass12 of 23
  • Yellow Perch11 of 23
  • Rock Bass10 of 23
  • Largemouth Bass7 of 23
  • Pumpkinseed7 of 23
  • Northern Pike5 of 23
  • Black Crappie3 of 23
  • Lake Trout3 of 23
  • Walleye3 of 23
  • Bluegill1 of 23
Forage fish and other species (6)

Forage fish

  • Golden Shiner 5
  • Brook Stickleback 1
  • Common Shiner 1
  • Creek Chub 1
  • Northern Redbelly Dace 1

Other

  • Brown Bullhead 2

Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.

Eating your catch

The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 9 species from Baptiste Lake. Maximum meals per month:

SpeciesLengthGeneral populationSensitive population*Contaminant
Black Crappie20-25 cm1612Mercury
Lake Trout50-55 cm124Mercury
Largemouth Bass30-35 cm84Mercury
Muskellunge>75 cmDo not eatDo not eatMercury
Northern Pike55-60 cm4Do not eatMercury
Smallmouth Bass35-40 cm8Do not eatMercury
Walleye40-45 cm124Mercury
Yellow Perch20-25 cm84Mercury
Cisco (Lake Herring)30-35 cm84Mercury

* 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 15. Check seasons and limits before you fish.

Water

Clarity was measured with a Secchi disk in 29 years between 1996 and 2025; the latest annual mean is 4.1 m.

Water clarity (Secchi depth, m)
Total phosphorus (µg/L)

Getting on the water

2 listed boat launches. marks launches on the map.

Northeast shore

Southeast shore