Map of Bella Lake with depth contours

Bella Lake

45.4443° N, 79.0312° W

Depth contours from the 2011 government survey. Not for navigation.

Download the depth map (SVG)

Bella Lake is 40 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 89% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 3.68 km² and lies 1.3 km northwest of Brooks Mill.

Government surveys have recorded 12 fish species here, including smallmouth bass, rock bass and lake trout.

Maximum depth
40 msurveyed 2011
deeper than 89% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Area
3.68 km²
larger than 89% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Shoreline
13.9 km
longer than 82% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Water clarity
4.9 mSecchi depth, 2025
clearer than 77% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
Fish species
12
more than 81% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Elevation
355 m

Today on the water

4 °C

Wind calm

Observed at Oxtongue Lake, as of 5:00 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
Time6 a.m.9 a.m.12 p.m.3 p.m.6 p.m.9 p.m.12 a.m.3 a.m.
Wind km/hW 15W 15NW 30NW 30NW 15var. 5var. 5var. 5
Gusts km/h5050
Waves (est.) m0.20.20.30.30.2
Temp. °C359121161-2
Precip. %4040402020000

Today: A mix of sun and cloud. 40 percent chance of showers this morning and early this afternoon. Wind becoming northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 near noon. High 13. UV index 4 or moderate.

Weather: Oxtongue Lake (local forecast), as of 5:03 a.m. EDT

Sun and moon

Civil dawn
6:54 a.m.
Sunrise
7:24 a.m.
Sunset
6:41 p.m.
Civil dusk
7:10 p.m.
Moonrise
6:16 a.m.
Moonset
5:59 p.m.
Moon
Waning crescent, 1% lit

Air Quality Health Index

2 low risk

Dorset, as of 4:00 a.m. EDT

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

13% of Bella Lake is shallower than 3 m, and 23% is deeper than 20 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 2011 records a maximum depth of 40 m, drawn from 150 depth contours.

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 Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.

Fish

Sport fish by the share of the 21 government surveys (2011–2011) that recorded them.

  • Smallmouth Bass14 of 21
  • Rock Bass13 of 21
  • Lake Trout8 of 21
  • Yellow Perch6 of 21
  • Burbot2 of 21
  • Pumpkinseed2 of 21
Forage fish and other species (6)

Forage fish

  • Bluntnose Minnow 3
  • Rainbow Smelt 2
  • Common Shiner 1
  • Golden Shiner 1

Other

  • White Sucker 8
  • Round Whitefish 3

Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.

Eating your catch

The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 5 species from Bella Lake. Maximum meals per month:

SpeciesLengthGeneral populationSensitive population*Contaminant
Lake Trout50-55 cm84PFAS
Smallmouth Bass35-40 cm84Mercury, PFAS
Burbot (Ling)50-55 cm84Mercury
Round Whitefish35-40 cm1616PCB
White Sucker40-45 cm88PFAS

* 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 32 years between 1992 and 2025; the latest annual mean is 4.9 m.

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

Getting on the water

1 listed boat launch; 1 with parking listed. marks launches on the map.