Big Deer Lake
45.7663° N, 79.7494° W
Depth contours from the 1976 government survey. Not for navigation.
Download the depth map (SVG)Big Deer Lake, Ontario. 45.7663° N, 79.7494° W
Maximum depth 15.2 m (1976 survey). Scale bar on the map.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
borealbound.ca/lakes/on/big-deer-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.
- 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.
Big Deer Lake is 15.2 m deep at its deepest point, shallower than 55% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 1.64 km² and lies 10 km north of Ahmic Harbour.
Government surveys have recorded 11 fish species here, including smallmouth bass, cisco and pumpkinseed.
- Maximum depth
- 15.2 msurveyed 1976
- shallower than 55% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Area
- 1.64 km²
- larger than 77% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Shoreline
- 16.4 km
- longer than 84% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Fish species
- 11
- more than 77% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Elevation
- 291 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 0.2 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 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | |||
| 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
- 6:57 a.m.
- Sunrise
- 7:27 a.m.
- Sunset
- 6:43 p.m.
- Civil dusk
- 7:13 p.m.
- Moonrise
- 6:19 a.m.
- Moonset
- 6:02 p.m.
- Moon
- Waning crescent, 1% lit
Air Quality Health Index
1 low risk
Parry Sound, as of 4:00 a.m. EDT
Follow this lake by email: a weekly summary of conditions.
Depth
The government depth survey from 1976 records a maximum depth of 15.2 m, drawn from 14 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 21 government surveys (2011–2011) that recorded them.
Forage fish and other species (6)
Forage fish
- Spottail Shiner 6
- Common Shiner 3
- Rainbow Smelt 3
- Bluntnose Minnow 2
Other
- White Sucker 13
- Brown Bullhead 4
Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.
Eating your catch
The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 1 species from Big Deer Lake. Maximum meals per month:
| Species | Length | General population | Sensitive population* | Contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth Bass | 35-40 cm | 2 | 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 15. Check seasons and limits before you fish.
Follow this lake
Every Friday by email: the Environment Canada forecast and any weather alerts in effect.