Map of Pigeon Lake with depth contours

Pigeon Lake

44.4716° N, 78.495° W

Depth contours from the 1967 government survey. Not for navigation.

Download the depth map (SVG)

Pigeon Lake is 12.2 m deep at its deepest point, shallower than 65% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 50.7 km² and lies beside Point Pleasant.

Government surveys have recorded 18 fish species here, including yellow perch, pumpkinseed and bluegill.

Maximum depth
12.2 msurveyed 1967
shallower than 65% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Area
50.7 km²
larger than 99% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Shoreline
150 km
longer than 99% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Water clarity
2.7 mSecchi depth, 2025
less clear than 70% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
Fish species
18
more than 94% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Elevation
244 m

Today on the water

6.8 °C

Mainly ClearWind WSW 8 km/h

Observed at Kawartha Lakes (Lindsay), as of 3:00 a.m. EDT

rough Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.6 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
Time4 a.m.7 a.m.10 a.m.1 p.m.4 p.m.7 p.m.10 p.m.1 a.m.
Wind km/hW 15W 15W 15NW 30NW 30NW 15var. 5var. 5
Gusts km/h5050
Waves (est.) m0.20.20.20.6
Temp. °C561014161174
Precip. %20404040202000

Tonight: Partly cloudy. 40 percent chance of showers this evening. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming light this evening. Low plus 5.

Weather: Kawartha Lakes (Lindsay) (local forecast), as of 3:02 a.m. EDT

Sun and moon

Civil dawn
6:52 a.m.
Sunrise
7:21 a.m.
Sunset
6:39 p.m.
Civil dusk
7:09 p.m.
Moonrise
6:13 a.m.
Moonset
5:58 p.m.
Moon
Waning crescent, 1% lit

Air Quality Health Index

2 low risk

Peterborough, as of 2:00 a.m. EDT

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

55% of Pigeon Lake is shallower than 3 m, and 25% 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 from 1967 records a maximum depth of 12.2 m, drawn from 125 depth contours.

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 Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.

Fish

Sport fish by the share of the 75 government surveys (2009–2013) that recorded them.

  • Yellow Perch64 of 75
  • Pumpkinseed43 of 75
  • Bluegill38 of 75
  • Smallmouth Bass38 of 75
  • Walleye37 of 75
  • Rock Bass27 of 75
  • Black Crappie24 of 75
  • Largemouth Bass20 of 75
  • Muskellunge9 of 75
  • Cisco4 of 75
Forage fish and other species (8)

Forage fish

  • Golden Shiner 13
  • Trout-Perch 7
  • Blackchin Shiner 1
  • Bluntnose Minnow 1
  • Central Mudminnow 1

Other

  • Brown Bullhead 3
  • Common Carp 3
  • White Sucker 3

Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.

Eating your catch

The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 12 species from Pigeon Lake. Maximum meals per month:

SpeciesLengthGeneral populationSensitive population*Contaminant
Black Crappie20-25 cm1616Precautionary
Bluegill15-20 cm1616Precautionary
Largemouth Bass30-35 cm168Mercury
Muskellunge>75 cm8Do not eatMercury
Pumpkinseed15-20 cm1616Precautionary
Rock Bass15-20 cm168Mercury
Smallmouth Bass35-40 cm124Mercury
Walleye40-45 cm168Mercury
Yellow Perch20-25 cm168Mercury
Brown Bullhead25-30 cm1616Precautionary
Common Carp55-60 cm1212PCB
White Sucker40-45 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 17. Check seasons and limits before you fish.

Water

Clarity was measured with a Secchi disk in 29 years between 1997 and 2025; the latest annual mean is 2.7 m.

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

Getting on the water

2 listed boat launches. marks launches on the map.

North end

East shore

Photos

Pigeon Lake Dusk
Photo: MarcusObal, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
YLCC Pigeon Lake 2015-06-04 001
Photo: Dillan Payne, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
YLCC Pigeon Lake 2015-06-04 002
Photo: Dillan Payne, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons