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Map of Keechewahshaykahmeeshek/Cairns Lake with depth contours

Keechewahshaykahmeeshek/Cairns Lake

51.7052° N, 94.4969° W

Depth contours from the government survey. Not for navigation.

Download the depth map (SVG)

Keechewahshaykahmeeshek/Cairns Lake, Ontario. 51.7052° N, 94.4969° W

Maximum depth 18 m. Scale bar on the map.

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 Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.

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

Keechewahshaykahmeeshek/Cairns Lake is 18 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 52% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 54.8 km² and lies 41 km south of Poplar Hill.

Government surveys have recorded 15 fish species here, including walleye, lake whitefish and cisco.

Maximum depth
18 m
deeper than 52% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Area
54.8 km²
larger than 99% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Shoreline
167 km
longer than 99% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Fish species
15
more than 89% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Elevation
365 m

Today on the water

2 °C

Mostly CloudyWind SE 6 km/h

Observed at Pikangikum, as of 5:00 a.m. CDT

choppy Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.3 m. Around 4 p.m., wind from the east: the east shore is sheltered, waves build toward the west shore.

Time6 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/hvar. 5var. 5var. 5var. 5E 20E 20SE 20SE 20
Gusts km/h40
Waves (est.) m0.10.10.10.1
Temp. °C4581010987
Precip. %3030808080808080

Today: Mainly cloudy with 30 percent chance of showers this morning. Periods of rain beginning near noon. Fog patches dissipating this morning. Wind becoming east 20 km/h late this afternoon. High 11. UV index 1 or low.

Weather: Pikangikum (local forecast), as of 5:05 a.m. CDT

Sun and moon

Civil dawn
6:58 a.m.
Sunrise
7:32 a.m.
Sunset
6:37 p.m.
Civil dusk
7:10 p.m.
Moonrise
6:25 a.m.
Moonset
5:56 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

27% of Keechewahshaykahmeeshek/Cairns Lake is shallower than 3 m, and 34% 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 m, drawn from 201 depth contours.

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

Fish

Sport fish by the share of the 33 government surveys (2011–2011) that recorded them.

  • Walleye33 of 33
  • Lake Whitefish22 of 33
  • Cisco18 of 33
  • Yellow Perch18 of 33
  • Northern Pike13 of 33
Forage fish and other species (10)

Forage fish

  • Trout-Perch 16
  • Spottail Shiner 8
  • Logperch 4
  • Ninespine Stickleback 4
  • Bluntnose Minnow 1
  • Brook Stickleback 1
  • Johnny Darter 1
  • Mimic Shiner 1

Other

  • White Sucker 22
  • Longnose Sucker 4

Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.

Eating your catch

The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 3 species from Keechewahshaykahmeeshek/Cairns Lake. Maximum meals per month:

SpeciesLengthGeneral populationSensitive population*Contaminant
Lake Whitefish45-50 cm1616Precautionary
Northern Pike55-60 cm164Mercury
Walleye40-45 cm8Do not eatMercury

* 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 2. Check seasons and limits before you fish.