Lac Nosbonsing
46.2025° N, 79.2086° W
Depth contours from the government survey. Not for navigation.
Download the depth map (SVG)Lac Nosbonsing, Ontario. 46.2025° N, 79.2086° W
Maximum depth 13.7 m. Scale bar on the map.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
borealbound.ca/lakes/on/lac-nosbonsing/, 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.
- 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.
- Indigenous geographical names, Natural Resources Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
- 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.
- Photographs, Wikimedia Commons contributors. Each photo carries its own licence (CC0, public domain, CC BY or CC BY-SA), credited where shown.
Lac Nosbonsing is 13.7 m deep at its deepest point, shallower than 59% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 17.7 km² and lies beside Bonfield.
Government surveys have recorded 18 fish species here, including yellow perch, northern pike and walleye.
- Maximum depth
- 13.7 m
- shallower than 59% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Area
- 17.7 km²
- larger than 97% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Shoreline
- 56.5 km
- longer than 96% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Water clarity
- 3.5 mSecchi depth, 2024
- less clear than 52% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
- Fish species
- 18
- more than 94% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Elevation
- 235 m
Today on the water
4 °C
Observed at North Bay, as of 5:00 a.m. EDT
choppy Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.3 m. Around 11 a.m., wind from the west: the west shore is sheltered, waves build toward the east 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 10 | NW 20 | W 20 | NW 20 | N 10 | NE 10 | E 10 | E 10 |
| Gusts km/h | 40 | |||||||
| Waves (est.) m | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | |||
| Temp. °C | 4 | 5 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 3 |
| Precip. % | 30 | 30 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tonight: Mainly cloudy with 30 percent chance of showers. Wind west 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light early this evening. Low plus 4.
Weather: North Bay (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
- 5:59 p.m.
- Moon
- Waning crescent, 1% lit
Air Quality Health Index
1 low risk
North Bay, as of 4:00 a.m. EDT
Follow this lake by email: a weekly summary of conditions.
Depth
31% of Lac Nosbonsing is shallower than 3 m, and 53% 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 records a maximum depth of 13.7 m, drawn from 37 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
Sport fish by the share of the 65 government surveys (2009–2014) that recorded them.
Forage fish and other species (11)
Forage fish
- Spottail Shiner 13
- Golden Shiner 12
- Mimic Shiner 12
- Blacknose Shiner 8
- Logperch 7
- Common Shiner 2
- Bluntnose Minnow 1
- Central Mudminnow 1
- Trout-Perch 1
Other
- Brown Bullhead 29
- White Sucker 26
Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.
Eating your catch
The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 3 species from Lac Nosbonsing. Maximum meals per month:
| Species | Length | General population | Sensitive population* | Contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Pike | 55-60 cm | 8 | 4 | Mercury |
| Smallmouth Bass | 35-40 cm | 12 | 4 | Mercury |
| Walleye | 40-45 cm | 8 | 4 | Mercury |
* 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 11. Check seasons and limits before you fish.
Water
Clarity was measured with a Secchi disk in 8 years between 2001 and 2024; the latest annual mean is 3.5 m.
Getting on the water
3 listed boat launches; 2 with parking listed. marks launches on the map.
North shore
- Quae Quae Park
Southwest shore
- Lake Nosbonsing - South Shore Public Boat Launch
West shore
- Big Moose
Names
- Lake NosbonsingEastern Ojibwe, Nishnaabemwin
Follow this lake
Every Friday by email: the Environment Canada forecast and any weather alerts in effect.