Ottertail Lake
46.3796° N, 83.7538° W
Depth contours from the 2024 government survey. Not for navigation.
Download the depth map (SVG)Ottertail Lake, Ontario. 46.3796° N, 83.7538° W
Maximum depth 3 m (2024 survey). Scale bar on the map.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
borealbound.ca/lakes/on/ottertail-lake-near-bruce-mines/, 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.
- 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.
Ottertail Lake is 3 m deep at its deepest point, shallower than 96% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 4.34 km² and lies beside Rydal Bank.
Government surveys have recorded 31 fish species here, including Chinook salmon, pink salmon and smallmouth bass.
- Maximum depth
- 3 msurveyed 2024
- shallower than 96% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Area
- 4.34 km²
- larger than 90% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Shoreline
- 13.9 km
- longer than 82% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Fish species
- 31
- more than 99% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Elevation
- 190 m
Today on the water
10.8 °C
Observed at Sault Ste. Marie, as of 5:00 a.m. EDT
choppy Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.3 m. Around 6 a.m., wind from the northwest: the northwest shore is sheltered, waves build toward the southeast 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 | NW 30 | NW 30 | NW 30 | NW 15 | var. 5 | E 20 | SE 30 | E 30 |
| Gusts km/h | 50 | 50 | 50 | |||||
| Waves (est.) m | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | |||
| Temp. °C | 7 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 7 |
| Precip. % | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tonight: Mainly cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. Risk of a thunderstorm after midnight. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50. Low plus 5.
Weather: Sault Ste. Marie (local forecast), as of 5:05 a.m. EDT
Sun and moon
- Civil dawn
- 7:14 a.m.
- Sunrise
- 7:44 a.m.
- Sunset
- 6:59 p.m.
- Civil dusk
- 7:29 p.m.
- Moonrise
- 6:36 a.m.
- Moonset
- 6:18 p.m.
- Moon
- Waning crescent, 1% lit
Air Quality Health Index
1 low risk
Sault Ste. Marie, as of 4:00 a.m. EDT
Follow this lake by email: a weekly summary of conditions.
Depth
The government depth survey from 2024 records a maximum depth of 3 m, drawn from 6 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 5 government surveys (2019–2024) that recorded them.
Forage fish and other species (19)
Forage fish
- Logperch 2
- Blacknose Dace 1
- Blacknose Shiner 1
- Bluntnose Minnow 1
- Brook Stickleback 1
- Common Shiner 1
- Golden Shiner 1
- Johnny Darter 1
- Longnose Dace 1
- Mimic Shiner 1
- Mottled Sculpin 1
- Rosyface Shiner 1
- Sand Shiner 1
- Spottail Shiner 1
Other
- Brown Bullhead 1
- Longnose Sucker 1
- Sea Lamprey 1
- Shorthead Redhorse 1
- White Sucker 1
Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.
Eating your catch
The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 4 species from Ottertail Lake. Maximum meals per month:
| Species | Length | General population | Sensitive population* | Contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Pike | 55-60 cm | 8 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| Smallmouth Bass | 35-40 cm | 8 | 4 | Mercury |
| Walleye | 40-45 cm | 8 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| Yellow Perch | 20-25 cm | 16 | 12 | 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 10. Check seasons and limits before you fish.
Getting on the water
1 listed boat launch; 1 with parking listed. marks launches on the map.
- Rydal Bank Park
Follow this lake
Every Friday by email: the Environment Canada forecast and any weather alerts in effect.