Lake St. Joseph
80 ft
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Lake St. Joseph is mapped to a depth of 24.4 m (80 ft) on the Ontario MNRF survey and covers about 56,704 ha (140,120 acres) in Kenora District, Ontario. Depths come from the Ontario MNRF survey of 1973.
Measured from the Ontario MNRF bathymetry survey.
- Deepest mapped contour
- 24.4 m (80 ft)
- Survey year
- 1973
- Surface area
- 56,704 ha (140,120 acres)
- Shoreline
- 911.2 km (566.2 mi) · irregular
- Fishing access
- 1 MNRF fishing access point · 1 boat launch
- Borders
- Osnaburgh 63A · First Nation reserve · 4% of shoreline · First Nation rules may apply
Additional depth details8 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–24.4 m (80 ft)
- Deep-spot markers
- 24.4 m (80 ft)
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
- 51.03683, -90.81517
- MNRF lake ID
- 15-6595-56606
- Vertical exaggeration
- 9.24× below the waterline; land at true scale
- Basemap
- Ontario FRI & Copernicus Sentinel-2 · ESA, via Microsoft Planetary Computer
- Model size
- 1.3 MB
Check the source: this lake’s record (15-6595-56606) 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: 1973. This model was built 2026-10-02. Depths between contours are interpolated, not measured.
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-16Lake St. Joseph has a heavily wooded and largely undeveloped setting, long open-water fetch, nearby higher-volume roads.
Why this score?5 components
Included in the index
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Excellent | 31.8 of 35 | 87% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (58% forest, 28% wetland; 0% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Modest | 1.5 of 29 | mean fetch 13,106 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 | 1 MNRF fishing access point · boat ramp · ADA-accessible |
| Road isolation | Mixed | 4.0 of 18 | nearby higher-volume roads · 186 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
- High — 58% forest and 28% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
- Mapped wildlife habitat
- Mapped — Ontario MNRF has mapped moose aquatic feeding 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 →
Angler catch reports
Fish ON-Line · 2025One angler has logged a trip here: 1 walleye and 1 northern pike, fished from a boat, in September 2025.
Pictures are sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colours, not photographs (provenance).
This is a single angler’s report — a snapshot of one trip, not a picture of the whole lake.
About these fish → the Fish of Ontario guide
Lake St. Joseph — common questions
How deep is Lake St. Joseph?
The deepest contour on the Ontario MNRF bathymetric survey of Lake St. Joseph is 24.4 m (80 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 St. Joseph?
Lake St. Joseph covers about 56,704 ha (140,120 acres) in Kenora District, Ontario.
Is there public access to Lake St. Joseph?
The Ontario MNRF lists 1 fishing access point within 100 m of the shoreline of Lake St. Joseph: 1 boat launch. Recorded ownership: 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.
Do First Nation rules apply on Lake St. Joseph?
Lake St. Joseph has 4% of its shoreline in Osnaburgh 63A, a First Nation reserve. Fishing, boating and access on reserve land and waters can be governed by the First Nation's own rules as well as Ontario's. Check with the First Nation before fishing or launching.
