Map of Big Cedar Lake with depth contours

Big Cedar Lake

44.6074° N, 78.1701° W

Depth contours from the government survey. Not for navigation.

Download the depth map (SVG)

Big Cedar Lake is 18.3 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 54% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 2.21 km² and lies 2.4 km north of Big Cedar.

Maximum depth
18.3 m
deeper than 54% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Area
2.21 km²
larger than 82% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Shoreline
14.1 km
longer than 82% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Water clarity
5.7 mSecchi depth, 2025
clearer than 87% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
Elevation
254 m

Today on the water

4.9 °C

Wind calm

Observed at Apsley, as of 3:00 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.

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.) m0.10.10.10.2
Temp. °C45912141052
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 4.

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

Sun and moon

Civil dawn
6:51 a.m.
Sunrise
7:20 a.m.
Sunset
6:38 p.m.
Civil dusk
7:07 p.m.
Moonrise
6:12 a.m.
Moonset
5:57 p.m.
Moon
Waning crescent, 1% lit

Air Quality Health Index

2 low risk

Peterborough, as of 2:00 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

32% of Big Cedar Lake is shallower than 3 m, and 22% 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 records a maximum depth of 18.3 m, drawn from 22 depth contours.

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 Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.

Water

Clarity was measured with a Secchi disk in 24 years between 2000 and 2025; the latest annual mean is 5.7 m.

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

Getting on the water

1 listed boat launch. marks launches on the map.