Lake of Bays

Muskoka, Ontario · MNRF bathymetric survey

61m Mapped depth
200 ft

7,115 ha 6 contours Fishing access

Paddling Index24Modest

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Depth scale

06.112.224.430.545.761 m

The lake

Survey readout

Lake of Bays is mapped to a depth of 61 m (200 ft) on the Ontario MNRF survey and covers about 7,115 ha (17,582 acres) in Muskoka, Ontario. Depths come from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1969.

Measured from the Ontario MNRF bathymetry survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 61 m (200 ft)
Survey year: 1969
Surface area: 7,115 ha (17,582 acres)
Shoreline: 166.9 km (103.7 mi) · irregular
Fishing access: 9 MNRF fishing access points · 7 boat launches and 2 shoreline access sites

Additional depth details6 contours

Contour depths: 0–61 m (200 ft)
Deep-spot markers: 61 m (200 ft), 45.7 m (150 ft), 30.5 m (100 ft)

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Location

Muskoka, Ontario · 15 nearest of 65 lakes and 1 river · tap a dot to open it

Chart data

Provenance

Sources: Ontario MNRF / LIO Bathymetry, Ontario FRI LiDAR DTM, OpenStreetMap (ODbL), Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario, Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (Sentinel-2), processed by ontariolakedepths.com.

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Map details & sources5 sources

All layers registered to one bounding box; positions in WGS 84.

Survey-derived depth contours drape over Ontario LiDAR (FRI DTM) elevation, with a Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite basemap and OpenStreetMap shoreline. Colour shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates: 45.25090, -79.03190
MNRF lake ID: 17-6567-50131
Vertical exaggeration: 5.12× below the waterline; land at true scale
Basemap: Ontario FRI & Copernicus Sentinel-2 · ESA, via Microsoft Planetary Computer
Model size: 1.1 MB

Check the source: this lake’s record (17-6567-50131) in the Ontario MNRF bathymetry index, and the contour line layer the map is drawn from (Land Information Ontario open data, Open Government Licence – Ontario). Survey year: 1969. This model was built 2026-10-02. Depths between contours are interpolated, not measured.

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-16

24 / 100ModestData confidence: High

Lake of Bays has a substantially developed setting, long open-water fetch, substantial nearby higher-volume roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Modest	7.0 of 35	41% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (40% forest, 1% wetland; 58% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Modest	1.5 of 29	mean fetch 4,731 m · 0% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · long open-water fetch
Motor & speed rules	Not modelled	—	Canada publishes vessel motor and speed restrictions as federal legal schedules, not map data, so they are not part of the Ontario index. Check local signage and Transport Canada rules before going out.
Public access	Good	15.0 of 18	9 MNRF fishing access points · boat ramp
Road isolation	Modest	0.9 of 18	substantial nearby higher-volume roads · 753 Ontario Road Network segments within 1.2 km (traffic estimated from road class, not measured)

Additional paddling considerations

These describe the lake but are not part of the v1 Paddling Index and do not change the number above.

Wake sensitivity: Low — wide enough that wakes disperse over most of the lake
Observed motorized activity: Unknown — No lake-level measurement of boat traffic is available. Legal permission to operate motors is not evidence of use.
Wildlife habitat potential: Limited — 40% forest and 1% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Mapped wildlife habitat: Mapped — Ontario MNRF has mapped moose aquatic feeding areas and deer wintering areas within 1 km of this lake. These are habitat records from provincial surveys, not animal counts; areas with nothing mapped may still hold wildlife. · Ontario MNRF Wildlife Values Area. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.

Compare Ontario lakes by Paddling Index →

How this index is calculated. The Paddling Index is a relative composite derived from lake geometry and public land-cover, access and road-network data. It is not a user review, a safety rating, or a prediction of an individual outing. Differences of a few points should not be treated as meaningful — an 84 and an 82 are broadly comparable. Components and weights for Ontario lakes: natural setting 35%, geometric wind exposure 29%, public access 18%, road isolation 18%. Motor and speed restrictions are not modelled for Ontario, and road traffic is estimated from road class, not measured. Where a component has no data the remaining weights are renormalized and the confidence rating is lowered; below Medium confidence no number is shown. Ontario scores are relative to other Ontario lakes and are not directly comparable with Paddling Index scores on our sister sites, which use different data sources and include a watercraft-rules component. Sources: Ontario MNRF bathymetry outline (0 m contour or survey index polygon), Ontario Land Cover v1.0, Ontario MNRF (Open Government Licence – Ontario) (2020), Ontario MNRF Fishing Access Points (Open Government Licence – Ontario) (2026-09) and Ontario Road Network (Open Government Licence – Ontario); traffic estimated by road class, not measured (2026-09). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Angler catch reports

Fish ON-Line · 2011–2026

What anglers say they caught here, logged trip by trip in Ontario’s Fish ON-Line app — most recently in February 2026.

49Trips logged

14Species

496Fish reported

Mooneye

Rainbow Smelt

Pictures are sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).

All species & trip details14 species

Lake Trout23 of 49 trips · 54 caught

Smallmouth Bass14 of 49 trips · 88 caught

Northern Pike8 of 49 trips · 57 caught

Lake Whitefish8 of 49 trips · 11 caught

Burbot6 of 49 trips · 24 caught

Walleye5 of 49 trips · 5 caught

Rainbow Smelt4 of 49 trips · 213 caught

Largemouth Bass4 of 49 trips · 12 caught

Yellow Perch2 of 49 trips · 18 caught

Bluegill1 trip · one angler’s report · 10 caught

Black Crappie1 trip · one angler’s report · 1 caught

Brook Trout1 trip · one angler’s report · 1 caught

Channel Catfish1 trip · one angler’s report · 1 caught

Mooneye1 trip · one angler’s report · 1 caught

How people fish it: ice 53% · boat 37% · shore 10%
Catch rate: about 1.7 fish an hour, all species together (49 trips, 285 hours logged)
Kept: 54% of the fish reported; the rest were released

About these fish → the Fish of Ontario guide

Trips are logged voluntarily by anglers in Ontario’s Fish ON-Line app. This is what people report catching, not a Ministry survey, and a species nobody has logged may still be here. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Source: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fish ON-Line. A logged catch does not mean it is legal to catch or keep: check the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary for this lake’s zone and exceptions.

Quick answers

Lake of Bays — common questions

How deep is Lake of Bays?

The deepest contour on the Ontario MNRF bathymetric survey of Lake of Bays is 61 m (200 ft). That is the deepest depth the historical survey map records, which may differ from the deepest point of the lake itself.

How big is Lake of Bays?

Lake of Bays covers about 7,115 ha (17,582 acres) in Muskoka, Ontario.

Is there public access to Lake of Bays?

The Ontario MNRF lists 9 fishing access points within 100 m of the shoreline of Lake of Bays: 7 boat launches and 2 shoreline access sites. Recorded ownership: 8 municipal, 1 provincial. The list includes municipal and privately owned sites, and some may charge a fee or restrict parking, so it confirms a place anglers use rather than a public right of way. Check locally before you go.

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