Lake of Bays
45.2527° N, 79.0313° W
Depth contours from the 1969 government survey. Not for navigation.
Download the depth map (SVG)Lake of Bays, Ontario. 45.2527° N, 79.0313° W
Maximum depth 61 m (1969 survey). Scale bar on the map.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
borealbound.ca/lakes/on/lake-of-bays/, 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.
Lake of Bays is 61 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 96% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 67.7 km² and lies beside Lumina.
Government surveys have recorded 32 fish species here, including rock bass, smallmouth bass and lake whitefish.
- Maximum depth
- 61 msurveyed 1969
- deeper than 96% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Area
- 67.7 km²
- larger than 99% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Shoreline
- 182 km
- longer than 99% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Water clarity
- 3.9 mSecchi depth, 2025
- clearer than 59% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
- Fish species
- 32
- more than 99% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Elevation
- 314 m
Today on the water
4.7 °C
Observed at Oxtongue Lake, as of 2:00 a.m. EDT
choppy Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.5 m.
| Time | 3 a.m. | 6 a.m. | 9 a.m. | 12 p.m. | 3 p.m. | 6 p.m. | 9 p.m. | 12 a.m. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind km/h | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | NW 30 | NW 30 | NW 15 | var. 5 | var. 5 |
| Gusts | 50 | 50 | ||||||
| Waves (est.) m | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | ||||
| Temp. °C | 3 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 1 |
| Precip. % | 20 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
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 2.
Weather: Oxtongue Lake (local forecast), as of 2:02 a.m. EDT
Water level
Lake of Bays at Baysville: 10.17 m at 1:00 a.m. EDT: 4 cm below the median for this time of year, below the normal range.
Normal range (25th–75th percentile, HYDAT) Last 7 days
Provisional real-time data, subject to revision. hydrometric station 02EB019
Sun and moon
- Civil dawn
- 6:54 a.m.
- Sunrise
- 7:24 a.m.
- Sunset
- 6:41 p.m.
- Civil dusk
- 7:10 p.m.
- Moonrise
- 6:16 a.m.
- Moonset
- 5:59 p.m.
- Moon
- Waning crescent, 1% lit
Air Quality Health Index
2 low risk
Dorset, as of 1:00 a.m. EDT
Follow this lake by email: a weekly summary of conditions.
Depth
31% of Lake of Bays is deeper than 30 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 1969 records a maximum depth of 61 m, drawn from 65 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 86 government surveys (1973–2018) that recorded them.
Forage fish and other species (22)
Forage fish
- Rainbow Smelt 16
- Bluntnose Minnow 9
- Creek Chub 7
- Common Shiner 6
- Emerald Shiner 4
- Iowa Darter 4
- Northern Redbelly Dace 4
- Blacknose Dace 2
- Blacknose Shiner 2
- Brassy Minnow 2
- Northern Pearl Dace 2
- Brook Stickleback 1
- Finescale Dace 1
- Golden Shiner 1
- Hornyhead Chub 1
- Lake Chub 1
- Longnose Dace 1
- Mottled Sculpin 1
- Slimy Sculpin 1
Other
- White Sucker 15
- Brown Bullhead 2
- Longnose Sucker 2
Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.
Eating your catch
The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 8 species from Lake of Bays. Maximum meals per month:
| Species | Length | General population | Sensitive population* | Contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Trout | 50-55 cm | 4 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| Lake Whitefish | 45-50 cm | 16 | 4 | Mercury, PCB |
| Northern Pike | 55-60 cm | 8 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| Rock Bass | 15-20 cm | 16 | 4 | Mercury |
| Smallmouth Bass | 35-40 cm | 4 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| Walleye | 35-40 cm | 16 | 4 | Mercury |
| Yellow Perch | 15-20 cm | 16 | 4 | Mercury |
| Burbot (Ling) | 50-55 cm | 4 | Do not eat | 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 15. Check seasons and limits before you fish.
Water
Clarity was measured with a Secchi disk in 28 years between 1992 and 2025; the latest annual mean is 3.9 m.
Getting on the water
10 listed access points, 8 of them boat launches; 7 with parking listed. marks launches on the map.
North shore
- Lake of Bays - Dwight Beach
East shore
- Lake of Bays - Dorset
- Lake of Bays - MTO Dorset
- Lake of Bays - Rabbit Bay
Southeast shore
- Lake of Bays - Norway Point Park
South shore
- Lake of Bays - Glenmount
Southwest shore
- Lake of Bays - South Portage Road
Northwest shore
- Lake of Bays - South Portage
2 km from Port Cunnington
- Montgomery Point Road
Near Port Cunnington
- Lake of Bays - Port Cunnington
Photos
Follow this lake
Every Friday by email: the Environment Canada forecast, the water level at the nearest gauge and any weather alerts in effect.