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Map of Esson Lake with depth contours

Esson Lake

45.0208° N, 78.2722° W

Depth contours from the 1979 government survey. Not for navigation.

Download the depth map (SVG)

Esson Lake, Ontario. 45.0208° N, 78.2722° W

Maximum depth 32 m (1979 survey). Scale bar on the map.

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 Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.

borealbound.ca/lakes/on/esson-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).
  • Guide to Eating Ontario Fish: Advisory Database, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.

Esson Lake is 32 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 82% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 2.45 km² and lies 2.7 km southwest of Wilberforce.

Maximum depth
32 msurveyed 1979
deeper than 82% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Area
2.45 km²
larger than 84% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Shoreline
15.9 km
longer than 84% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Water clarity
5.2 mSecchi depth, 2017
clearer than 82% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
Elevation
387 m

Today on the water

4.9 °C

Wind calm

Observed at Haliburton, as of 3:00 a.m. EDT

choppy Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.3 m. Around 12 p.m., wind from the northwest: the northwest shore is sheltered, waves build toward the southeast 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 15W 15W 15NW 30NW 30NW 15var. 5var. 5
Gusts km/h5050
Waves (est.) m0.10.10.10.3
Temp. °C34811131051
Precip. %20404040202000

Tonight: Partly cloudy. 60 percent chance of showers this evening. Risk of a thunderstorm early this evening. Wind west 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming light this evening. Low plus 3.

Weather: Haliburton (local forecast), as of 3:00 a.m. EDT

Sun and moon

Civil dawn
6:51 a.m.
Sunrise
7:21 a.m.
Sunset
6:38 p.m.
Civil dusk
7:08 p.m.
Moonrise
6:13 a.m.
Moonset
5:57 p.m.
Moon
Waning crescent, 1% lit

Air Quality Health Index

2 low risk

Dorset, as of 2:00 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

46% of Esson 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 from 1979 records a maximum depth of 32 m, drawn from 25 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 1999 and 2017; the latest annual mean is 5.2 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.