Skeleton Lake
45.2512° N, 79.4533° W
Depth contours from the 2004 government survey. Not for navigation.
Download the depth map (SVG)Skeleton Lake, Ontario. 45.2512° N, 79.4533° W
Maximum depth 75 m (2004 survey). Scale bar on the map.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
borealbound.ca/lakes/on/skeleton-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.
- 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).
- Air Quality Health Index observations and forecasts, 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.
Skeleton Lake is 75 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 98% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 20.7 km² and lies beside Tomelin Bluffs.
Government surveys have recorded 17 fish species here, including lake trout, rock bass and lake whitefish.
- Maximum depth
- 75 msurveyed 2004
- deeper than 98% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Area
- 20.7 km²
- larger than 98% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Shoreline
- 49.5 km
- longer than 96% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Water clarity
- 6 mSecchi depth, 2024
- clearer than 89% of the 1,251 monitored lakes in Ontario
- Fish species
- 17
- more than 95% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Elevation
- 280 m
Today on the water
9.1 °C
Observed at Port Carling, as of 2:00 a.m. EDT
choppy Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.4 m.
| Time | 3 a.m. | 6 a.m. | 9 a.m. | 12 p.m. | 3 p.m. | 6 p.m. | 9 p.m. | 12 a.m. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind km/h | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | NW 30 | NW 30 | NW 15 | var. 5 | var. 5 |
| Gusts | 50 | 50 | ||||||
| Waves (est.) m | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | ||||
| Temp. °C | 5 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 5 |
| Precip. % | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 |
Tonight: Partly cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. Risk of a thunderstorm early this evening. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming light this evening. Low plus 4.
Weather: Port Carling (local forecast), as of 2:02 a.m. EDT
Sun and moon
- Civil dawn
- 6:56 a.m.
- Sunrise
- 7:26 a.m.
- Sunset
- 6:43 p.m.
- Civil dusk
- 7:12 p.m.
- Moonrise
- 6:18 a.m.
- Moonset
- 6:01 p.m.
- Moon
- Waning crescent, 1% lit
Air Quality Health Index
2 low risk
Dorset, as of 1:00 a.m. EDT
Follow this lake by email: a weekly summary of conditions.
Depth
8% of Skeleton Lake is shallower than 3 m, and 53% is deeper than 30 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 2004 records a maximum depth of 75 m, drawn from 699 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 45 government surveys (2008–2014) that recorded them.
Forage fish and other species (8)
Forage fish
- Bluntnose Minnow 5
- Creek Chub 1
- Golden Shiner 1
- Rainbow Smelt 1
- Slimy Sculpin 1
Other
- Brown Bullhead 3
- Baitfish 2
- White Sucker 2
Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.
Eating your catch
The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 5 species from Skeleton Lake. Maximum meals per month:
| Species | Length | General population | Sensitive population* | Contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brook Trout | 30-35 cm | 16 | 16 | Precautionary |
| Lake Trout | 50-55 cm | 4 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| Lake Whitefish | 45-50 cm | 16 | 12 | Precautionary |
| Smallmouth Bass | 35-40 cm | 12 | 4 | Mercury |
| Walleye | 40-45 cm | 4 | 4 | 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 15. Check seasons and limits before you fish.
Water
Clarity was measured with a Secchi disk in 27 years between 1992 and 2024; the latest annual mean is 6 m.
Getting on the water
3 listed access points, one of them a boat launch; 1 with parking listed. marks launches on the map.
Southeast shore
- Skeleton Lake - Road 2
South shore
- Skeleton Lake - Road 3
Southwest shore
- Skeleton Lake - Bert Sims Road
Follow this lake
Every Friday by email: the Environment Canada forecast and any weather alerts in effect.