Bigwind Lake
45.0571° N, 79.0546° W
Depth contours from the 2002 government survey. Not for navigation.
Download the depth map (SVG)Bigwind Lake, Ontario. 45.0571° N, 79.0546° W
Maximum depth 34 m (2002 survey). Scale bar on the map.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
borealbound.ca/lakes/on/bigwind-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.
- 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.
Bigwind Lake is 34 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 84% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 1.11 km² and lies 5 km north of Lakewood.
Government surveys have recorded 8 fish species here, including lake trout, yellow perch and brook trout.
- Maximum depth
- 34 msurveyed 2002
- deeper than 84% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Area
- 1.11 km²
- larger than 70% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Shoreline
- 8.6 km
- longer than 69% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Water clarity
- 4.7 mSecchi depth, 2022
- clearer than 75% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
- Fish species
- 8
- more than 65% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Elevation
- 321 m
Today on the water
8.2 °C
Observed at Bracebridge, 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.
| 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 | 0.2 | ||||
| Temp. °C | 4 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 6 | 3 |
| Precip. % | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
Tonight: Partly cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. Risk of a thunderstorm early this evening. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming light this evening. Low plus 4.
Weather: Bracebridge (local forecast), as of 3:02 a.m. EDT
Sun and moon
- Civil dawn
- 6:54 a.m.
- Sunrise
- 7:24 a.m.
- Sunset
- 6:41 p.m.
- Civil dusk
- 7:11 p.m.
- Moonrise
- 6:16 a.m.
- Moonset
- 6:00 p.m.
- Moon
- Waning crescent, 1% lit
Air Quality Health Index
2 low risk
Dorset, as of 2:00 a.m. EDT
Follow this lake by email: a weekly summary of conditions.
Depth
14% of Bigwind Lake is shallower than 3 m, and 17% is deeper than 20 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 2002 records a maximum depth of 34 m, drawn from 152 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 15 government surveys (2008–2008) that recorded them.
Forage fish and other species (3)
Forage fish
- Bluntnose Minnow 2
- Golden Shiner 1
Other
- White Sucker 2
Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.
Stocking
Lake Trout3,300 fish in 5 years, most recently 2024
All stocking records (5)
| Year | Species | Fish | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Lake Trout | 400 | Yearlings |
| 2022 | Lake Trout | 500 | Yearlings |
| 2020 | Lake Trout | 800 | Yearlings |
| 2018 | Lake Trout | 800 | Yearlings |
| 2016 | Lake Trout | 800 | Yearlings |
Eating your catch
The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 4 species from Bigwind Lake. Maximum meals per month:
| Species | Length | General population | Sensitive population* | Contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brook Trout | 30-35 cm | 16 | 12 | Precautionary |
| Lake Trout | 50-55 cm | 16 | 8 | Mercury |
| Largemouth Bass | 30-35 cm | 16 | 4 | Mercury |
| Rainbow Trout | 45-50 cm | 16 | 12 | PCB |
* 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.
Water
Clarity was measured with a Secchi disk in 27 years between 1995 and 2022; the latest annual mean is 4.7 m.
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.