Red Lake
51.0642° N, 93.957° W
Depth contours from the 1971 government survey. Not for navigation.
Download the depth map (SVG)Red Lake, Ontario. 51.0642° N, 93.957° W
Maximum depth 42.7 m (1971 survey). Scale bar on the map.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
borealbound.ca/lakes/on/red-lake/, 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).
- 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.
Red Lake is 42.7 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 90% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 164 km² and lies beside McKenzie Island.
Government surveys have recorded 9 fish species here, including yellow perch.
- Maximum depth
- 42.7 msurveyed 1971
- deeper than 90% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Area
- 164 km²
- larger than 99% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Shoreline
- 531 km
- longer than 99% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Water clarity
- 2.3 mSecchi depth, 1999
- less clear than 79% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
- Fish species
- 9
- more than 69% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Elevation
- 355 m
Today on the water
0.9 °C
Observed at Red Lake, as of 12:00 a.m. CDT
choppy Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.3 m.
| Time | 1 a.m. | 4 a.m. | 7 a.m. | 10 a.m. | 1 p.m. | 4 p.m. | 7 p.m. | 10 p.m. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind km/h | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 20 | SE 20 | SE 20 | SE 20 | SE 20 |
| Gusts | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | ||||
| Waves (est.) m | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | |||
| Temp. °C | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| Precip. % | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 10 |
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Wind northwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light this evening. Low plus 1.
Weather: Red Lake (local forecast), as of 12:00 a.m. CDT
Water level
Red Lake at Forestry Point: 355.62 m at 12:00 a.m. CDT: 11 cm below the median for this time of year, within the normal range.
Normal range (25th–75th percentile, HYDAT) Last 7 days
Provisional real-time data, subject to revision. hydrometric station 05QC005
Sun and moon
- Civil dawn
- 6:56 a.m.
- Sunrise
- 7:29 a.m.
- Sunset
- 6:35 p.m.
- Civil dusk
- 7:08 p.m.
- Moonrise
- 6:22 a.m.
- Moonset
- 5:54 p.m.
- Moon
- Waning crescent, 1% lit
Follow this lake by email: a weekly summary of conditions.
Depth
30% of Red Lake is deeper than 20 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 1971 records a maximum depth of 42.7 m, drawn from 252 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 22 government surveys (2015–2015) that recorded them.
Forage fish and other species (8)
Forage fish
- Spottail Shiner 20
- Fathead Minnow 18
- Emerald Shiner 16
- Golden Shiner 14
- Blacknose Shiner 6
- Iowa Darter 4
- Mottled Sculpin 2
Other
- White Sucker 10
Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.
Eating your catch
The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 10 species from Red Lake. Maximum meals per month:
| Species | Length | General population | Sensitive population* | Contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Trout | 60-65 cm | 8 | 4 | Mercury |
| Lake Whitefish | 45-50 cm | 12 | 12 | Arsenic, PFAS |
| Northern Pike | 55-60 cm | 8 | 4 | PFAS |
| Rock Bass | 15-20 cm | 16 | 12 | PFAS |
| Sauger | 30-35 cm | 8 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| Smallmouth Bass | 30-35 cm | 16 | 8 | Mercury, PFAS |
| Walleye | 40-45 cm | 8 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| Yellow Perch | 20-25 cm | 16 | 8 | Mercury |
| Burbot (Ling) | 50-55 cm | 8 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| White Sucker | 40-45 cm | 16 | 16 | PCB |
* 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 4. Check seasons and limits before you fish.
Getting on the water
2 listed boat launches; 2 with parking listed. marks launches on the map.
- Government Dock Access
- St. Paul's Bay Access Point
Follow this lake
Every Friday by email: the Environment Canada forecast, the water level at the nearest gauge and any weather alerts in effect.