Sowden Lake
49.5473° N, 91.2067° W
Depth contours from the 1974 government survey. Not for navigation.
Download the depth map (SVG)Sowden Lake, Ontario. 49.5473° N, 91.2067° W
Maximum depth 18.3 m (1974 survey). Scale bar on the map.
Not for navigation. Depths are from government surveys and may be outdated.
borealbound.ca/lakes/on/sowden-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.
Sowden Lake is 18.3 m deep at its deepest point, deeper than 54% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario. It covers 37.5 km² and lies 24 km south of Clarkdon.
Government surveys have recorded 14 fish species here, including walleye, sauger and northern pike.
- Maximum depth
- 18.3 msurveyed 1974
- deeper than 54% of the 2,688 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Area
- 37.5 km²
- larger than 98% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Shoreline
- 64.6 km
- longer than 97% of the 18,731 lakes in Ontario
- Fish species
- 14
- more than 86% of the 2,454 surveyed lakes in Ontario
- Elevation
- 405 m
Today on the water
4.6 °C
Observed at Ignace, as of 8:00 a.m. CDT
choppy Estimated waves, next 12 hours: up to 0.3 m. Around 7 p.m., wind from the southeast: the southeast shore is sheltered, waves build toward the northwest shore.
| Time | 9 a.m. | 12 p.m. | 3 p.m. | 6 p.m. | 9 p.m. | 12 a.m. | 3 a.m. | 6 a.m. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind km/h | var. 5 | var. 5 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 20 | SE 20 | SE 20 | SE 20 |
| Gusts km/h | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | ||||
| Waves (est.) m | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | ||||
| Temp. °C | 6 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 14 |
| Precip. % | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Today: A mix of sun and cloud. Becoming cloudy this afternoon. High 15. UV index 3 or moderate.
Weather: Ignace (local forecast), as of 8:01 a.m. CDT
Sun and moon
- Civil dawn
- 6:44 a.m.
- Sunrise
- 7:17 a.m.
- Sunset
- 6:26 p.m.
- Civil dusk
- 6:58 p.m.
- Moonrise
- 6:09 a.m.
- Moonset
- 5:45 p.m.
- Moon
- Waning crescent, 1% lit
Depth
22% of Sowden 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 1974 records a maximum depth of 18.3 m, drawn from 26 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 29 government surveys (2009–2009) that recorded them.
Forage fish and other species (6)
Forage fish
- Emerald Shiner 5
- Trout-Perch 5
- Spottail Shiner 3
- Brook Stickleback 1
Other
- White Sucker 15
- Shorthead Redhorse 3
Numbers are the surveys that recorded each species.
Eating your catch
The provincial guide to eating fish (2026) sets limits for 5 species from Sowden Lake. Maximum meals per month:
| Species | Length | General population | Sensitive population* | Contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Whitefish | 45-50 cm | 16 | 8 | Mercury |
| Northern Pike | 55-60 cm | 4 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| Smallmouth Bass | 40-45 cm | 8 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| Walleye | 40-45 cm | 4 | Do not eat | Mercury |
| White Sucker | 50-55 cm | 16 | 4 | 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 4. Check seasons and limits before you fish.