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Map of Catastrophe Lake with depth contours

Catastrophe Lake

49.8984° N, 94.7903° W

Depth contours from the government survey. Not for navigation.

Download the depth map (SVG)

Catastrophe Lake, Ontario. 49.8984° N, 94.7903° W

Maximum depth 18.3 m. Scale bar on the map.

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 Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.

borealbound.ca/lakes/on/catastrophe-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.
  • 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).

Catastrophe Lake is 18.3 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 54% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 2.82 km² and lies 11 km southwest of Minaki.

Maximum depth
18.3 m
deeper than 54% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Area
2.82 km²
larger than 86% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Shoreline
18.1 km
longer than 86% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Water clarity
3.7 mSecchi depth, 2024
clearer than 54% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
Elevation
344 m

Today on the water

6.6 °C

Partly CloudyWind SSE 8 km/h

Observed at Kenora, as of 3:00 a.m. CDT

choppy Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.2 m. Around 7 a.m., wind from the southeast: the southeast shore is sheltered, waves build toward the northwest shore.

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/hSE 10SE 20SE 20SE 20SE 20SE 20SE 20SE 20
Gusts km/h4040404040
Waves (est.) m0.10.20.20.2
Temp. °C4591215141413
Precip. %2020203030301010

Tonight: Clear. Wind northwest 20 km/h becoming light this evening. Low plus 4.

Weather: Kenora (local forecast), as of 3:02 a.m. CDT

Sun and moon

Civil dawn
6:59 a.m.
Sunrise
7:31 a.m.
Sunset
6:40 p.m.
Civil dusk
7:12 p.m.
Moonrise
6:25 a.m.
Moonset
5:59 p.m.
Moon
Waning crescent, 1% lit

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 Catastrophe Lake 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 8 depth contours.

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 Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.

Water

Clarity was measured with a Secchi disk in 28 years between 1997 and 2024; the latest annual mean is 3.7 m.

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

Getting on the water

1 listed boat launch; 1 with parking listed. marks launches on the map.