Map of Palmerston Lake with depth contours

Palmerston Lake

45.0175° N, 76.8476° W

Depth contours from the government survey. Not for navigation.

Download the depth map (SVG)

Palmerston Lake is 54.9 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 95% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 5.62 km² and lies beside Ompah.

Government surveys have recorded 16 fish species here, including rock bass, smallmouth bass and lake trout.

Maximum depth
54.9 m
deeper than 95% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Area
5.62 km²
larger than 92% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Shoreline
26.7 km
longer than 91% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Water clarity
7.1 mSecchi depth, 2024
clearer than 96% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
Fish species
16
more than 91% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Elevation
271 m

Today on the water

8 °C

Wind WSW 7 km/h

Observed at Sharbot Lake, as of 4:00 a.m. EDT

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

Hourly forecast, next 24 hours
Time5 a.m.8 a.m.11 a.m.2 p.m.5 p.m.8 p.m.11 p.m.2 a.m.
Wind km/hW 15W 15W 15NW 30NW 30NW 15var. 5var. 5
Gusts km/h5050
Waves (est.) m0.20.20.20.30.3
Temp. °C36101314831
Precip. %204040404020200

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 3.

Weather: Sharbot Lake (local forecast), as of 4:02 a.m. EDT

Sun and moon

Civil dawn
6:46 a.m.
Sunrise
7:15 a.m.
Sunset
6:32 p.m.
Civil dusk
7:02 p.m.
Moonrise
6:07 a.m.
Moonset
5:51 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

15% of Palmerston Lake is shallower than 3 m, and 29% 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 records a maximum depth of 54.9 m, drawn from 71 depth contours.

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 Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.

Fish

Sport fish by the share of the 66 government surveys (1899–2015) that recorded them.

  • Rock Bass33 of 66
  • Smallmouth Bass32 of 66
  • Lake Trout30 of 66
  • Cisco28 of 66
  • Yellow Perch27 of 66
  • Pumpkinseed9 of 66
  • Largemouth Bass1 of 66
  • Northern Pike1 of 66
  • Walleye1 of 66
Forage fish and other species (7)

Forage fish

  • Spottail Shiner 10
  • Mimic Shiner 7
  • Bluntnose Minnow 6
  • Emerald Shiner 2
  • Golden Shiner 1

Other

  • White Sucker 12
  • Brown Bullhead 2

Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.

Eating your catch

The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 7 species from Palmerston Lake. Maximum meals per month:

SpeciesLengthGeneral populationSensitive population*Contaminant
Lake Trout50-55 cm84PCB
Largemouth Bass35-40 cm124Mercury
Northern Pike>75 cm4Do not eatMercury
Smallmouth Bass35-40 cm124Mercury
Yellow Perch20-25 cm168Mercury
Cisco (Lake Herring)20-25 cm168Arsenic
White Sucker45-50 cm1616Precautionary

* 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 18. Check seasons and limits before you fish.

Water

Clarity was measured with a Secchi disk in 5 years between 2000 and 2024; the latest annual mean is 7.1 m.

Water clarity (Secchi depth, m)
Total phosphorus (µg/L)

Getting on the water

1 listed boat launch. marks launches on the map.