Lake Nipissing
46.2904° N, 80.1056° W
Depth contours from the government survey. Not for navigation.
Download the depth map (SVG)Lake Nipissing, Ontario. 46.2904° N, 80.1056° W
Maximum depth 70 m. Scale bar on the map.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
borealbound.ca/lakes/on/lake-nipissing/, 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.
- Real-time hydrometric data, Environment and Climate Change Canada. Contains data from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC Data Servers End-use Licence).
- National Water Data Archive (HYDAT) daily means, Environment and Climate Change Canada. Contains data from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC Data Servers End-use Licence).
- 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.
- Ontario Waterbody Location Identifier, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Lake Nipissing is 70 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 97% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 856 km² and lies beside North Bay.
Government surveys have recorded 28 fish species here, including yellow perch, cisco and walleye.
- Maximum depth
- 70 m
- deeper than 97% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Area
- 856 km²
- larger than 99% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Shoreline
- 962 km
- longer than 99% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Water clarity
- 2.8 mSecchi depth, 2025
- less clear than 67% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
- Fish species
- 28
- more than 99% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Elevation
- 192 m
Today on the water
5.7 °C
Observed at North Bay, as of 1:00 a.m. EDT
rough Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.7 m. Wind from the northwest: the northwest shore is sheltered, waves build toward the southeast shore.
| Time | 2 a.m. | 5 a.m. | 8 a.m. | 11 a.m. | 2 p.m. | 5 p.m. | 8 p.m. | 11 p.m. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind km/h | W 10 | W 10 | NW 20 | W 20 | NW 20 | N 10 | NE 10 | E 10 |
| Gusts | 40 | |||||||
| Waves (est.) m | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.6 | |||
| Temp. °C | 6 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 5 |
| Precip. % | 30 | 30 | 30 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 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 1:01 a.m. EDT
Water level
Lake Nipissing at North Bay: 5.69 m at Thu 11:35 p.m. EDT: 2 cm below the median for this time of year, within the normal range.
Normal range (25th–75th percentile, HYDAT) Last 7 days
Provisional real-time data, subject to revision. hydrometric station 02DD006
Sun and moon
- Civil dawn
- 6:59 a.m.
- Sunrise
- 7:29 a.m.
- Sunset
- 6:44 p.m.
- Civil dusk
- 7:14 p.m.
- Moonrise
- 6:21 a.m.
- Moonset
- 6:03 p.m.
- Moon
- Waning crescent, 1% lit
Air Quality Health Index
1 low risk
North Bay, as of 1:00 a.m. EDT
Follow this lake by email: a weekly summary of conditions.
Depth
The government depth survey records a maximum depth of 70 m, drawn from 4,292 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 99 government surveys (2009–2018) that recorded them.
Forage fish and other species (14)
Forage fish
- Trout-Perch 21
- Spottail Shiner 17
- Common Shiner 9
- Rainbow Smelt 9
- Logperch 6
- Emerald Shiner 4
- Blacknose Shiner 1
- Brook Stickleback 1
- Mottled Sculpin 1
Other
- White Sucker 54
- Brown Bullhead 13
- Greater Redhorse 4
- Longnose Gar 3
- Silver Lamprey 1
Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.
Eating your catch
The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 14 species from Lake Nipissing. Maximum meals per month:
| Species | Length | General population | Sensitive population* | Contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshwater Drum | 45-50 cm | 4 | 4 | PFAS |
| Lake Whitefish | 45-50 cm | 4 | 4 | PFAS |
| Muskellunge | >75 cm | 4 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| Northern Pike | 55-60 cm | 4 | 4 | PFAS |
| Rock Bass | 15-20 cm | 8 | 4 | PFAS |
| Smallmouth Bass | 35-40 cm | 2 | Do not eat | PFAS |
| Walleye | 40-45 cm | 2 | Do not eat | PFAS |
| White Bass | 30-35 cm | 1 | Do not eat | PFAS |
| Yellow Perch | 20-25 cm | 4 | 4 | PFAS |
| Brown Bullhead | 25-30 cm | 12 | 12 | PFAS |
| Burbot (Ling) | 50-55 cm | 2 | Do not eat | PFAS |
| Cisco (Lake Herring) | 30-35 cm | 4 | 4 | PFAS |
| Rainbow Smelt | 15-20 cm | 4 | 4 | PFAS |
| White Sucker | 40-45 cm | 4 | 4 | PFAS |
* 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 23 years between 1997 and 2025; the latest annual mean is 2.8 m.
Getting on the water
18 listed boat launches; 7 with parking listed. marks launches on the map.
East end
- Centennial Park
- Champlain Park
- Hunter's Bay
- Link's Beach - Private Boat Launch
- Municipal Dock
11 more on the east end
- Sunset Park
- Wades Landing
- Waltonian Inn
- Waterfront Marina
- Boat launch
- Boat launch
- Boat launch
- Boat launch
- Boat launch
- Boat launch
- Boat launch
West end
- Boat launch
- Boat launch
Photos
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Follow this lake
Every Friday by email: the Environment Canada forecast, the water level at the nearest gauge and any weather alerts in effect.