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Map of Desbarats Lake with depth contours

Desbarats Lake

46.3844° N, 83.9308° W

Depth contours from the 2023 government survey. Not for navigation.

Download the depth map (SVG)

Desbarats Lake, Ontario. 46.3844° N, 83.9308° W

Maximum depth 11 m (2023 survey). Scale bar on the map.

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 Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.

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

Desbarats Lake is 11 m deep at its deepest point, shallower than 68% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 4.02 km² and lies 1.8 km north of Desbarats.

Maximum depth
11 msurveyed 2023
shallower than 68% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Area
4.02 km²
larger than 89% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Shoreline
16.7 km
longer than 85% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Water clarity
0.9 mSecchi depth, 2025
less clear than 99% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
Elevation
180 m

Today on the water

10.1 °C

Mostly CloudyWind N 2 km/h

Observed at Sault Ste. Marie, as of 3:00 a.m. EDT

choppy Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.4 m. Around 4 a.m., wind from the west: the west shore is sheltered, waves build toward the east 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/hW 30NW 30NW 30NW 30NW 15var. 5E 20SE 30
Gusts km/h5050
Waves (est.) m0.40.40.40.40.2
Temp. °C86711141177
Precip. %30101000000

Tonight: Mainly cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. Risk of a thunderstorm after midnight. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50. Low plus 5.

Weather: Sault Ste. Marie (local forecast), as of 3:06 a.m. EDT

Sun and moon

Civil dawn
7:14 a.m.
Sunrise
7:45 a.m.
Sunset
7:00 p.m.
Civil dusk
7:30 p.m.
Moonrise
6:37 a.m.
Moonset
6:18 p.m.
Moon
Waning crescent, 1% lit

Air Quality Health Index

1 low risk

Sault Ste. Marie, as of 3:00 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

19% of Desbarats Lake is shallower than 3 m, and 67% is deeper than 5 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 2023 records a maximum depth of 11 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 16 years between 2009 and 2025; the latest annual mean is 0.9 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.