Big Bald Lake
44.5766° N, 78.3863° W
Depth contours from the government survey. Not for navigation.
Download the depth map (SVG)Big Bald Lake, Ontario. 44.5766° N, 78.3863° W
Maximum depth 9.1 m. Scale bar on the map.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
borealbound.ca/lakes/on/big-bald-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.
- 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.
- Ontario Waterbody Location Identifier, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Big Bald Lake is 9.1 m deep at its deepest point, shallower than 76% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 2.13 km² and lies 2.6 km northwest of Buckhorn.
Government surveys have recorded 14 fish species here, including yellow perch, bluegill and pumpkinseed.
- Maximum depth
- 9.1 m
- shallower than 76% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Area
- 2.13 km²
- larger than 82% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Shoreline
- 29.7 km
- longer than 92% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Water clarity
- 3.9 mSecchi depth, 2025
- clearer than 58% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
- Fish species
- 14
- more than 86% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Elevation
- 244 m
Today on the water
10.9 °C
Observed at Kawartha Lakes (Fenelon Falls), as of 10:00 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 | 11 a.m. | 2 p.m. | 5 p.m. | 8 p.m. | 11 p.m. | 2 a.m. | 5 a.m. | 8 a.m. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind km/h | W 15 | NW 30 | NW 30 | NW 15 | var. 5 | var. 5 | var. 5 | var. 5 |
| Gusts km/h | 50 | 50 | ||||||
| Waves (est.) m | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | ||||
| Temp. °C | 10 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Precip. % | 40 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 14. UV index 4 or moderate.
Weather: Kawartha Lakes (Fenelon Falls) (local forecast), as of 10:02 a.m. EDT
Sun and moon
- Civil dawn
- 6:52 a.m.
- Sunrise
- 7:21 a.m.
- Sunset
- 6:39 p.m.
- Civil dusk
- 7:08 p.m.
- Moonrise
- 6:13 a.m.
- Moonset
- 5:57 p.m.
- Moon
- Waning crescent, 1% lit
Air Quality Health Index
1 low risk
Peterborough, as of 9:00 a.m. EDT
Depth
63% of Big Bald Lake is shallower than 3 m, and 15% 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 records a maximum depth of 9.1 m, drawn from 112 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 30 government surveys (2009–2013) that recorded them.
Forage fish and other species (5)
Forage fish
- Golden Shiner 8
- Spottail Shiner 1
Other
- Brown Bullhead 2
- Common Carp 2
- White Sucker 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 Big Bald Lake. Maximum meals per month:
| Species | Length | General population | Sensitive population* | Contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | 20-25 cm | 16 | 16 | Precautionary |
| Bluegill | 15-20 cm | 16 | 12 | Precautionary |
| Largemouth Bass | 30-35 cm | 12 | 4 | Mercury |
| Muskellunge | >75 cm | 4 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| Rock Bass | 15-20 cm | 16 | 8 | Mercury |
| Smallmouth Bass | 35-40 cm | 8 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| Walleye | 40-45 cm | 12 | 4 | Mercury |
| Yellow Perch | 20-25 cm | 16 | 8 | Mercury |
| Brown Bullhead | 25-30 cm | 16 | 16 | 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 17. Check seasons and limits before you fish.
Water
Clarity was measured with a Secchi disk in 25 years between 1996 and 2025; the latest annual mean is 3.9 m.