Big Caribou Lake
45.9328° N, 80.0731° W
Depth contours from the 1973 government survey. Not for navigation.
Download the depth map (SVG)Big Caribou Lake, Ontario. 45.9328° N, 80.0731° W
Maximum depth 54.9 m (1973 survey). Scale bar on the map.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
borealbound.ca/lakes/on/big-caribou-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.
- 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.
- 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.
Big Caribou Lake is 54.9 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 95% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 5.31 km² and lies 3.3 km west of Loring.
Government surveys have recorded 1 fish species here: lake trout.
- Maximum depth
- 54.9 msurveyed 1973
- deeper than 95% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Area
- 5.31 km²
- larger than 92% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Shoreline
- 29.6 km
- longer than 92% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Fish species
- 1
- fewer than 100% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Elevation
- 215 m
Today on the water
7.5 °C
Observed at Dunchurch, 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.
| Time | 6 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/h | W 15 | W 15 | NW 30 | NW 30 | NW 15 | var. 5 | var. 5 | var. 5 |
| Gusts km/h | 50 | 50 | ||||||
| Waves (est.) m | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | |||
| Temp. °C | 5 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| Precip. % | 60 | 30 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Today: A mix of sun and cloud. 60 percent chance of showers this morning. Risk of a thunderstorm early this morning. Wind becoming northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 near noon. High 14. UV index 4 or moderate.
Weather: Dunchurch (local forecast), as of 5:03 a.m. EDT
Sun and moon
- Civil dawn
- 6:59 a.m.
- Sunrise
- 7:29 a.m.
- Sunset
- 6:45 p.m.
- Civil dusk
- 7:14 p.m.
- Moonrise
- 6:21 a.m.
- Moonset
- 6:03 p.m.
- Moon
- Waning crescent, 1% lit
Follow this lake by email: a weekly summary of conditions.
Depth
14% of Big Caribou Lake is shallower than 3 m, and 17% is deeper than 30 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 1973 records a maximum depth of 54.9 m, drawn from 115 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
- Lake TroutStocked
Stocking
Lake Trout20,798 fish in 5 years, most recently 2022
All stocking records (5)
| Year | Species | Fish | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Lake Trout | 3,150 | Yearlings |
| 2020 | Lake Trout | 4,000 | Yearlings |
| 2018 | Lake Trout | 4,000 | Yearlings |
| 2017 | Lake Trout | 2,982 | Yearlings |
| 2016 | Lake Trout | 6,666 | Yearlings |
Eating your catch
The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 4 species from Big Caribou Lake. Maximum meals per month:
| Species | Length | General population | Sensitive population* | Contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Trout | 50-55 cm | 4 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| Northern Pike | 55-60 cm | 8 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| Smallmouth Bass | 35-40 cm | 4 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| Walleye | 40-45 cm | 4 | Do not eat | Mercury |
* 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 11. Check seasons and limits before you fish.
Getting on the water
1 listed boat launch; 1 with parking listed. marks launches on the map.
- Boat launch
Follow this lake
Every Friday by email: the Environment Canada forecast and any weather alerts in effect.