Map of Shadow Lake with depth contours

Shadow Lake

44.7194° N, 78.7936° W

Depth contours from the 1978 government survey. Not for navigation.

Download the depth map (SVG)

Shadow Lake is 22 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 66% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 4.27 km² and lies beside Norland.

Government surveys have recorded 15 fish species here, including yellow perch, smallmouth bass and rock bass.

Maximum depth
22 msurveyed 1978
deeper than 66% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Area
4.27 km²
larger than 90% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Shoreline
28.5 km
longer than 92% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
Water clarity
4 mSecchi depth, 2003
clearer than 61% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
Fish species
15
more than 89% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
Elevation
256 m

Today on the water

6.8 °C

Mainly ClearWind WSW 8 km/h

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

choppy Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.3 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.) m0.10.10.10.3
Temp. °C45912141053
Precip. %20404040202000

Tonight: Partly cloudy. 60 percent chance of showers this evening. Risk of a thunderstorm early this evening. Wind west 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming light this evening. Low plus 4.

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

Sun and moon

Civil dawn
6:53 a.m.
Sunrise
7:23 a.m.
Sunset
6:40 p.m.
Civil dusk
7:10 p.m.
Moonrise
6:15 a.m.
Moonset
5:59 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

24% of Shadow Lake 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 1978 records a maximum depth of 22 m, drawn from 51 depth contours.

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 Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.

Fish

Sport fish by the share of the 28 government surveys (2009–2009) that recorded them.

  • Yellow Perch26 of 28
  • Smallmouth Bass13 of 28
  • Rock Bass11 of 28
  • Largemouth Bass9 of 28
  • Pumpkinseed6 of 28
  • Black Crappie5 of 28
  • Bluegill5 of 28
  • Walleye4 of 28
  • Cisco2 of 28
  • Muskellunge2 of 28
Forage fish and other species (5)

Forage fish

  • Logperch 5
  • Trout-Perch 5
  • Golden Shiner 4
  • Spottail Shiner 1

Other

  • White Sucker 3

Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.

Eating your catch

The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 11 species from Shadow Lake. Maximum meals per month:

SpeciesLengthGeneral populationSensitive population*Contaminant
Black Crappie25-30 cm1616PFAS
Largemouth Bass30-35 cm124PFAS
Northern Pike55-60 cm128PFAS
Pumpkinseed15-20 cm1612PFAS
Rock Bass15-20 cm164Mercury
Smallmouth Bass35-40 cm88PFAS
Walleye40-45 cm164Mercury, PFAS
Yellow Perch20-25 cm1612PFAS
Brown Bullhead25-30 cm3212–
Cisco (Lake Herring)30-35 cm1616PFAS
White Sucker40-45 cm1616PFAS

* 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 3 years between 1996 and 2003; the latest annual mean is 4 m.

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

Photos

Shadow Lake Sunrise (6101617992)
Photo: RichardBH from Hamilton, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons