Return Lake
48.9895° N, 81.7787° W
Depth contours from the 1973 government survey. Not for navigation.
Download the depth map (SVG)Return Lake, Ontario. 48.9895° N, 81.7787° W
Maximum depth 27.4 m (1973 survey). Scale bar on the map.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
borealbound.ca/lakes/on/return-lake-near-driftwood/, 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.
- Fish stocking for recreational purposes, 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).
- Guide to Eating Ontario Fish: Advisory Database, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Return Lake is 27.4 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 74% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 0.76 km² and lies 33 km south of Smooth Rock Falls.
Government surveys have recorded 1 fish species here: splake.
- Maximum depth
- 27.4 msurveyed 1973
- deeper than 74% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Area
- 0.76 km²
- larger than 61% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Shoreline
- 8.4 km
- longer than 69% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Fish species
- 1
- fewer than 100% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Elevation
- 291 m
Today on the water
2.8 °C
Observed at Kapuskasing, as of 4:00 a.m. EDT
calm Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.1 m. Around 5 a.m., wind from the west: the west shore is sheltered, waves build toward the east shore.
| Time | 5 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/h | W 10 | NW 20 | W 20 | W 20 | W 10 | var. 5 | var. 5 | SE 10 |
| Gusts km/h | 40 | |||||||
| Waves (est.) m | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | ||||
| Temp. °C | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| Precip. % | 20 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tonight: Cloudy. 60 percent chance of showers this evening. Wind northwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light early this evening. Low plus 1.
Weather: Kapuskasing (local forecast), as of 4:01 a.m. EDT
Sun and moon
- Civil dawn
- 7:07 a.m.
- Sunrise
- 7:38 a.m.
- Sunset
- 6:49 p.m.
- Civil dusk
- 7:20 p.m.
- Moonrise
- 6:29 a.m.
- Moonset
- 6:07 p.m.
- Moon
- Waning crescent, 1% lit
Follow this lake by email: a weekly summary of conditions.
Depth
40% of Return Lake is shallower than 3 m, and 17% is deeper than 10 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 1973 records a maximum depth of 27.4 m, drawn from 53 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
- SplakeStocked
Stocking
Splake4,918 fish in 3 years, most recently 2022
All stocking records (3)
| Year | Species | Fish | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Splake | 1,418 | Yearlings |
| 2020 | Splake | 1,750 | Yearlings |
| 2018 | Splake | 1,750 | Yearlings |
Eating your catch
The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 1 species from Return Lake. Maximum meals per month:
| Species | Length | General population | Sensitive population* | Contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Pike | 55-60 cm | Do not eat | Do not eat | 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 8. Check seasons and limits before you fish.
Getting on the water
1 listed access point.
- Shore access
Follow this lake
Every Friday by email: the Environment Canada forecast and any weather alerts in effect.