Map of Preston Lake with depth contours

Preston Lake

43.9856° N, 79.3788° W

Depth contours from the government survey. Not for navigation.

Download the depth map (SVG)

Preston Lake is 4.6 m deep at its deepest point, shallower than 90% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 0.27 km² and lies 1.6 km southeast of Vandorf.

Government surveys have recorded 5 fish species here, including largemouth bass, pumpkinseed and smallmouth bass.

Maximum depth
4.6 m
shallower than 90% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Area
0.27 km²
smaller than 69% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Shoreline
3.6 km
shorter than 66% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Water clarity
4.1 mSecchi depth, 2025
clearer than 63% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
Fish species
5
more than 53% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Elevation
307 m

Today on the water

9 °C

Wind SW 7 km/h

Observed at Newmarket, as of 9:00 a.m. EDT

choppy Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.2 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
Time10 a.m.1 p.m.4 p.m.7 p.m.10 p.m.1 a.m.4 a.m.7 a.m.
Wind km/hW 15NW 30NW 30NW 15var. 5var. 5var. 5var. 5
Gusts km/h5050
Waves (est.) m0.10.20.20.10.1
Temp. °C101417138535
Precip. %404020200000

Today: A mix of sun and cloud. 40 percent chance of showers this morning and early this afternoon. Wind becoming northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 near noon. High 17. UV index 4 or moderate.

Weather: Newmarket (local forecast), as of 9:04 a.m. EDT

Sun and moon

Civil dawn
6:55 a.m.
Sunrise
7:24 a.m.
Sunset
6:43 p.m.
Civil dusk
7:12 p.m.
Moonrise
6:17 a.m.
Moonset
6:02 p.m.
Moon
Waning crescent, 1% lit

Air Quality Health Index

1 low risk

Newmarket, as of 9:00 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

47% of Preston Lake is shallower than 1 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 4.6 m, drawn from 6 depth contours.

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 Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.

Fish

Sport fish by the share of the 2 government surveys (1971–1980) that recorded them.

  • Largemouth Bass2 of 2
  • Pumpkinseed2 of 2
  • Smallmouth Bass1 of 2
Other species (2)
  • White Sucker 2
  • Yellow Bullhead 1

Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.

Eating your catch

The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 2 species from Preston Lake. Maximum meals per month:

SpeciesLengthGeneral populationSensitive population*Contaminant
Largemouth Bass30-35 cm124Mercury
Yellow Perch20-25 cm168Mercury

* 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 16. Check seasons and limits before you fish.

Water

Clarity was measured with a Secchi disk in 19 years between 1995 and 2025; the latest annual mean is 4.1 m.

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

Photos

Preston Lake, Whitchurch–Stouffville
Photo: Silver Dovelet, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons