Emsdale Lake
45.5166° N, 79.1972° W
Depth contours from the 1971 government survey. Not for navigation.
Download the depth map (SVG)Emsdale Lake, Ontario. 45.5166° N, 79.1972° W
Maximum depth 18.3 m (1971 survey). Scale bar on the map.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
borealbound.ca/lakes/on/emsdale-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.
Emsdale Lake is 18.3 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 54% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 0.68 km² and lies 2.6 km northwest of Swindon.
Government surveys have recorded 1 fish species here: lake trout.
- Maximum depth
- 18.3 msurveyed 1971
- deeper than 54% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Area
- 0.68 km²
- larger than 58% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Shoreline
- 5.3 km
- longer than 52% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Water clarity
- 5.9 mSecchi depth, 2025
- clearer than 89% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
- Fish species
- 1
- fewer than 100% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Elevation
- 362 m
Today on the water
7 °C
Observed at Burk's Falls, 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 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Precip. % | 40 | 40 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Today: A mix of sun and cloud. 40 percent chance of showers this morning and early this afternoon. Wind becoming northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 near noon. High 13. UV index 4 or moderate.
Weather: Burk's Falls (local forecast), as of 5:01 a.m. EDT
Sun and moon
- Civil dawn
- 6:55 a.m.
- Sunrise
- 7:25 a.m.
- Sunset
- 6:41 p.m.
- Civil dusk
- 7:11 p.m.
- Moonrise
- 6:17 a.m.
- Moonset
- 6:00 p.m.
- Moon
- Waning crescent, 1% lit
Air Quality Health Index
2 low risk
Dorset, as of 4:00 a.m. EDT
Follow this lake by email: a weekly summary of conditions.
Depth
27% of Emsdale Lake is shallower than 3 m, and 40% 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 1971 records a maximum depth of 18.3 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
- Lake TroutStocked
Stocking
Lake Trout700 fish in 2 years, most recently 2019
All stocking records (2)
| Year | Species | Fish | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Lake Trout | 350 | Yearlings |
| 2017 | Lake Trout | 350 | Yearlings |
Eating your catch
The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 1 species from Emsdale Lake. Maximum meals per month:
| Species | Length | General population | Sensitive population* | Contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Trout | 50-55 cm | 12 | 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 15 years between 2004 and 2025; the latest annual mean is 5.9 m.
Getting on the water
1 listed access point.
- Shore access
Follow this lake
Every Friday by email: the Environment Canada forecast and any weather alerts in effect.