Big Clear Lake
44.7258° N, 76.9069° W
Depth contours from the 1984 government survey. Not for navigation.
Download the depth map (SVG)Big Clear Lake, Ontario. 44.7258° N, 76.9069° W
Maximum depth 18 m (1984 survey). Scale bar on the map.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
borealbound.ca/lakes/on/big-clear-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).
- 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 Clear Lake is 18 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 52% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 3.23 km² and lies beside Arden.
Government surveys have recorded 16 fish species here, including yellow perch, rock bass and bluegill.
- Maximum depth
- 18 msurveyed 1984
- deeper than 52% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Area
- 3.23 km²
- larger than 87% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Shoreline
- 15.7 km
- longer than 84% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Water clarity
- 5 mSecchi depth, 2025
- clearer than 79% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
- Fish species
- 16
- more than 91% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Elevation
- 195 m
Today on the water
7.5 °C
Observed at Sharbot Lake, as of 3:00 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 | 4 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/h | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | NW 30 | NW 30 | NW 15 | var. 5 | var. 5 |
| Gusts km/h | 50 | 50 | ||||||
| Waves (est.) m | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | ||||
| Temp. °C | 3 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 2 |
| Precip. % | 20 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 0 |
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 3.
Weather: Sharbot Lake (local forecast), as of 3:03 a.m. EDT
Sun and moon
- Civil dawn
- 6:46 a.m.
- Sunrise
- 7:15 a.m.
- Sunset
- 6:33 p.m.
- Civil dusk
- 7:02 p.m.
- Moonrise
- 6:07 a.m.
- Moonset
- 5:51 p.m.
- Moon
- Waning crescent, 1% lit
Follow this lake by email: a weekly summary of conditions.
Depth
31% of Big Clear Lake is shallower than 3 m, and 38% 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 from 1984 records a maximum depth of 18 m, drawn from 62 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 18 government surveys (2010–2010) that recorded them.
Forage fish and other species (7)
Forage fish
- Bluntnose Minnow 4
- Banded Killifish 3
- Logperch 2
- Golden Shiner 1
Other
- Yellow Bullhead 6
- Brown Bullhead 1
- White Sucker 1
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 Clear 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 |
| Northern Pike | 55-60 cm | 12 | 4 | Mercury |
| Smallmouth Bass | 35-40 cm | 8 | 4 | Mercury |
| Walleye | 40-45 cm | 8 | 4 | Mercury |
| Yellow Perch | 20-25 cm | 16 | 8 | Mercury |
| Cisco (Lake Herring) | 40-45 cm | 16 | 8 | Mercury |
| White Sucker | 40-45 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 18. Check seasons and limits before you fish.
Water
Clarity was measured with a Secchi disk in 26 years between 1996 and 2025; the latest annual mean is 5 m.
Follow this lake
Every Friday by email: the Environment Canada forecast and any weather alerts in effect.