Bells Lake
44.321° N, 80.7361° W
Depth contours from the 2007 government survey. Not for navigation.
Download the depth map (SVG)Bells Lake, Ontario. 44.321° N, 80.7361° W
Maximum depth 9 m (2007 survey). Scale bar on the map.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
borealbound.ca/lakes/on/bells-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.
- Fish stocking for recreational purposes, 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.
- 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).
- Guide to Eating Ontario Fish: Advisory Database, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Bells Lake is 9 m deep at its deepest point, shallower than 76% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 0.89 km² and lies 1.1 km northwest of Lauriston.
Government surveys have recorded 14 fish species here, including rock bass, brook trout and bluegill.
- Maximum depth
- 9 msurveyed 2007
- shallower than 76% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Area
- 0.89 km²
- larger than 65% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Shoreline
- 11.9 km
- longer than 78% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Fish species
- 14
- more than 86% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Elevation
- 386 m
Today on the water
7 °C
Observed at Owen Sound, as of 8:00 a.m. EDT
choppy Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.2 m. Around 12 p.m., wind from the northwest: the northwest shore is sheltered, waves build toward the southeast shore.
| Time | 9 a.m. | 12 p.m. | 3 p.m. | 6 p.m. | 9 p.m. | 12 a.m. | 3 a.m. | 6 a.m. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind km/h | NW 20 | NW 30 | NW 30 | NW 10 | var. 5 | var. 5 | var. 5 | SE 10 |
| Gusts km/h | 50 | 50 | ||||||
| Waves (est.) m | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | |||
| Temp. °C | 7 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
| Precip. % | 40 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Today: A mix of sun and cloud with 40 percent chance of showers this morning. Clearing this afternoon. Wind becoming northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 this morning. High 15. UV index 4 or moderate.
Weather: Owen Sound (local forecast), as of 8:01 a.m. EDT
Sun and moon
- Civil dawn
- 7:01 a.m.
- Sunrise
- 7:30 a.m.
- Sunset
- 6:49 p.m.
- Civil dusk
- 7:18 p.m.
- Moonrise
- 6:23 a.m.
- Moonset
- 6:07 p.m.
- Moon
- Waning crescent, 1% lit
Depth
35% of Bells 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 2007 records a maximum depth of 9 m, drawn from 203 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 23 government surveys (1970–1995) that recorded them.
Forage fish and other species (9)
Forage fish
- Creek Chub 13
- Hornyhead Chub 10
- Common Shiner 9
- Bluntnose Minnow 8
- Northern Redbelly Dace 4
- Fathead Minnow 3
- Blacknose Shiner 1
Other
- Green Sunfish 3
- White Sucker 3
Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.
Stocking
Brook Trout38,750 fish in 9 years, most recently 2025
All stocking records (9)
| Year | Species | Fish | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Brook Trout | 6,000 | Yearlings |
| 2024 | Brook Trout | 4,998 | Yearlings |
| 2023 | Brook Trout | 5,009 | Yearlings |
| 2022 | Brook Trout | 5,206 | Yearlings |
| 2021 | Brook Trout | 4,005 | Yearlings |
| 2019 | Brook Trout | 2,538 | Yearlings |
| 2018 | Brook Trout | 3,938 | Yearlings |
| 2017 | Brook Trout | 5,556 | Yearlings |
| 2016 | Brook Trout | 1,500 | Yearlings |
Eating your catch
The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 3 species from Bells Lake. Maximum meals per month:
| Species | Length | General population | Sensitive population* | Contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Pike | 55-60 cm | 8 | 4 | Mercury |
| Smallmouth Bass | 35-40 cm | 4 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| White Sucker | 40-45 cm | 16 | 12 | Precautionary |
* 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 16. Check seasons and limits before you fish.