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The numbers

Lakes

Area, depth and shoreline from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources lake fact sheets. Only official figures are shown.

Soundings

93 m

89 m

70 m

65 m

56 m

37 m

69 m

Maximum depth Mean depth. Metres.

Lake Joseph

Surface area: 5,460 ha
Maximum depth: 93 m
Mean depth: 25 m
Shoreline: 140 km
Island shoreline: 91 km

The deepest of the big three lakes.
Cottages began on its northern islands in the 1870s.

Source: MNR lake fact sheet for Lake Joseph (archived copy)

See also: Who lived on Lake Joseph · The locks at Port Carling · Island cottages · Events in Muskoka Lakes

Lake Rosseau

Surface area: 6,390 ha
Maximum depth: 89 m
Mean depth: 24 m
Shoreline: 151 km
Island shoreline: 80 km

About 18 by 8.5 km. The south end is in Muskoka Lakes and the north end in Seguin.

Source: MNR lake fact sheet for Lake Rosseau (archived copy); note source

See also: The Robinson-Huron Treaty · The locks at Port Carling · Pratt’s Rosseau House · Events in Muskoka Lakes · Events in Seguin

Lake of Bays

Surface area: 6,780 ha
Maximum depth: 70 m
Mean depth: 22 m
Shoreline: 167 km
Elevation: 316 m

It sits at 316 m, about 30 m above Peninsula Lake.

Source: MNR lake fact sheet for Lake of Bays (archived copy)

See also: The Portage Flyer · The Wawa Hotel · The district · Events in Lake of Bays

Skeleton Lake

Surface area: 2,075 ha
Maximum depth: 65 m
Mean depth: 32 m
Shoreline: 42 km

Its mean depth of 32 m is greater than that of Lake Rosseau or Lake Joseph.

Source: MNR lake fact sheet for Skeleton Lake (archived copy)

See also: Events in Muskoka Lakes

Mary Lake

Surface area: 1,061 ha
Maximum depth: 56 m
Mean depth: 25 m
Shoreline: 20.5 km

Named in 1853 by surveyor Alexander Murray, for his daughter.

Source: MNR lake fact sheet for Mary Lake (archived copy); note source

See also: Mary Lake · Events in Huntsville

Peninsula Lake

Surface area: 840 ha
Maximum depth: 37 m
Mean depth: 11.7 m
Shoreline: 29.8 km
Elevation: 284 m

The Peninsula Canal joined it to Fairy Lake in 1888.

Source: MNR lake fact sheet for Peninsula Lake (archived copy); note source

See also: The Peninsula Canal · The Portage Flyer · Events in Huntsville

Fairy Lake

Surface area: 699 ha
Maximum depth: 69 m
Mean depth: 22 m
Shoreline: 24.3 km

Small at 699 ha. It goes down 69 m.

Source: MNR lake fact sheet for Fairy Lake (archived copy)

See also: The Peninsula Canal · Events in Huntsville

Not listed

Lake Muskoka and Lake Vernon are left out. We found no official fact sheet for them. Kawagama Lake is left out because its figures come only from secondary sources. Each will be added when an official sheet turns up.

Shorelines drawn from OpenStreetMap data, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Not for navigation.