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Map of Sandford Lake with depth contours

Sandford Lake

49.1084° N, 91.6846° W

Depth contours from the 1974 government survey. Not for navigation.

Download the depth map (SVG)

Sandford Lake, Ontario. 49.1084° N, 91.6846° W

Maximum depth 109.7 m (1974 survey). Scale bar on the map.

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 Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.

borealbound.ca/lakes/on/sandford-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.
  • 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.

Sandford Lake is 109.7 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 99% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 29.3 km² and lies 27 km south of Ignace.

Government surveys have recorded 11 fish species here, including walleye, smallmouth bass and lake trout.

Maximum depth
109.7 msurveyed 1974
deeper than 99% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Area
29.3 km²
larger than 98% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Shoreline
73 km
longer than 97% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Fish species
11
more than 77% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Elevation
430 m

Today on the water

2.3 °C

Mainly ClearWind S 9 km/h

Observed at Ignace, as of 3:00 a.m. CDT

choppy Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.3 m. Around 10 a.m., wind from the south: the south shore is sheltered, waves build toward the north shore.

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/hS 10S 10S 20SE 20SE 20SE 30SE 30SE 20
Gusts km/h40505040
Waves (est.) m0.20.20.30.3
Temp. °C2171111111111
Precip. %00000000

Tonight: Partly cloudy. 30 percent chance of showers early this evening. Clearing this evening. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming light this evening. Low plus 1.

Weather: Ignace (local forecast), as of 3:00 a.m. CDT

Sun and moon

Civil dawn
6:46 a.m.
Sunrise
7:18 a.m.
Sunset
6:28 p.m.
Civil dusk
7:00 p.m.
Moonrise
6:11 a.m.
Moonset
5:47 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

31% of Sandford Lake is deeper than 50 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 1974 records a maximum depth of 109.7 m, drawn from 26 depth contours.

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 Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.

Fish

Sport fish by the share of the 42 government surveys (2010–2010) that recorded them.

  • Walleye27 of 42
  • Smallmouth Bass20 of 42
  • Lake Trout13 of 42
  • Lake Whitefish11 of 42
  • Burbot9 of 42
  • Yellow Perch7 of 42
  • Cisco6 of 42
  • Northern Pike3 of 42
Forage fish and other species (3)

Forage fish

  • Blacknose Shiner 1
  • Bluntnose Minnow 1

Other

  • White Sucker 16

Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.

Eating your catch

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

SpeciesLengthGeneral populationSensitive population*Contaminant
Lake Trout50-55 cm168Mercury, PCB
Lake Whitefish50-55 cm1612Selenium
Northern Pike55-60 cm1612Mercury
Smallmouth Bass35-40 cm124Mercury
Walleye40-45 cm168Mercury
Burbot (Ling)45-50 cm168Mercury
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 5. Check seasons and limits before you fish.