Lake of Bays (Ontario)
Encyclopedia
Lake of Bays is a large lake in Ontario
, Canada
. It is located in the Township of Lake of Bays, Ontario
, which is named after the lake, in the Muskoka District Municipality
of central Ontario. Highway 35
runs north and east of the lake.
Port Cunnington is a community established on a peninsula reaching out deep inside the lake. Other settlements on the lake shore include Dwight, South Portage, Baysville and Dorset
.
, Sixteen Mile Creek, Ten Mile Creek, Hollow River, St. Mary Creek).
Bigwin Island
is the largest island in the lake; other islands include Burnt Island, Fairview Island, Langmaids Island, Pancake Island, Raynor Island, Rock Island, Haystack Island, Millichamp Island, Reuben Island, Crown Island and Peanut Island. The irregular shape of the lake is defined by many bays such as Rabbit's Bay, Burnt Island Bay, Whitehouse Bay, Portage Bay, Haystack Bay, Ten Mile Bay, Dwight Bay,Trading Bay and Murky Bay.
apparently called the lake Num g e low e nee g go mark lak a hagan which means Lake of Forks. It was also known as Baptiste Lake, Forked Lake and Lake of Two Bays. In 1837, David Thompson traversed the lake and drew a map of the lake that refers to it as Forked Lake. On September 5, 1837, Thompson mentioned catching lake trout
in the lake. Thomas Moffatt, an agent for the Hudson’s Bay Company (Moffatt reported an outpost on Bigwin Island
) referred to it as Trading Lake. In 1853, a geological survey by Alexander Murray
of the Geological Survey of Canada referred to the lake as Lake of Bays.
. Despite its size and basin shape, low fertility and a short residence time
combine to make it only moderately productive. Lake of Bays water is clear, and the maximum secchi disc
reading obtained was 8 m (26.2 ft).
The surface layer
, which is 9 metres (29.5 ft) in depth, varies in temperature throughout the year. In the summer months of July and August, the surface layer can have an average temperature approaching 21 °C (69.8 °F), while the top few metres can warm to about 26.5 °C (79.7 °F). Below the top layer, the summer temperature drops rapidly to around 7 °C (44.6 °F).
species in Lake of Bays. Those known to exist are:
and smallmouth bass
are the main sport species and the lake has produced a number of trophy lake trout
in excess of 20 pounds. These trout are difficult to catch, and require heavy trolling equipment once the lake warms up. Smallmouth bass
are often found in the shallower water around the shores and on shoals. During the winter, the lake provides fishing for lake trout
, whitefish
, smelts, and burbot
.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located in the Township of Lake of Bays, Ontario
Lake of Bays, Ontario
Lake of Bays is a township within the District Municipality of Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. It is named after the Lake of Bays.Located in the northeast corner of Muskoka, the Lake of Bays offers a natural landscape of forests, rocks, lakes and wetlands. Because of its natural beauty, it is an...
, which is named after the lake, in the Muskoka District Municipality
Muskoka District Municipality, Ontario
The District Municipality of Muskoka, more generally referred to as the District of Muskoka, or simply Muskoka, is a Regional Municipality located in Central Ontario, Canada. Muskoka extends from Georgian Bay in the west, to the northern tip of Lake Couchiching in the south, to the western border...
of central Ontario. Highway 35
Highway 35 (Ontario)
King's Highway 35, also known as Highway 35, is a provincial highway in the Canadian province of Ontario, linking Highway 401 with Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, and Algonquin Park. The highway travels from west of Newcastle, through Lindsay and the Kawarthas and into Haliburton before terminating...
runs north and east of the lake.
Port Cunnington is a community established on a peninsula reaching out deep inside the lake. Other settlements on the lake shore include Dwight, South Portage, Baysville and Dorset
Dorset, Ontario
Dorset is a small community located on the boundary between the Lake of Bays Municipality in Muskoka District and the Algonquin Highlands Township in Haliburton County, Ontario, Canada. Dorset was originally called Cedar Narrows. In 1859 Francis Harvey became the first white settler here....
.
Geographic features
The lake is fed by Oxtongue River, as well as other rivers and creeks flowing from the north-east (Boyne RiverBoyne River (Ontario)
There are four rivers named Boyne River in Ontario, Canada.The Boyne River in Grey County flows from above the Niagara Escarpment through Flesherton to join the Beaver River at ; the Beaver River then flows to Georgian Bay...
, Sixteen Mile Creek, Ten Mile Creek, Hollow River, St. Mary Creek).
Bigwin Island
Bigwin Island
Bigwin Island is the largest island on Lake of Bays, in the Muskoka District of Ontario, Canada. In 2001 it became the site of a major re-development, in the form of a private golf club and a planned community of family waterfront cottages and golf villas...
is the largest island in the lake; other islands include Burnt Island, Fairview Island, Langmaids Island, Pancake Island, Raynor Island, Rock Island, Haystack Island, Millichamp Island, Reuben Island, Crown Island and Peanut Island. The irregular shape of the lake is defined by many bays such as Rabbit's Bay, Burnt Island Bay, Whitehouse Bay, Portage Bay, Haystack Bay, Ten Mile Bay, Dwight Bay,Trading Bay and Murky Bay.
Origin of Name
The First NationsFirst Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
apparently called the lake Num g e low e nee g go mark lak a hagan which means Lake of Forks. It was also known as Baptiste Lake, Forked Lake and Lake of Two Bays. In 1837, David Thompson traversed the lake and drew a map of the lake that refers to it as Forked Lake. On September 5, 1837, Thompson mentioned catching lake trout
Lake trout
Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
in the lake. Thomas Moffatt, an agent for the Hudson’s Bay Company (Moffatt reported an outpost on Bigwin Island
Bigwin Island
Bigwin Island is the largest island on Lake of Bays, in the Muskoka District of Ontario, Canada. In 2001 it became the site of a major re-development, in the form of a private golf club and a planned community of family waterfront cottages and golf villas...
) referred to it as Trading Lake. In 1853, a geological survey by Alexander Murray
Alexander Murray (geologist)
Alexander Murray, CMG was a Scottish geologist.Murray was born in Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland. He worked as a geologist in the United Kingdom and Canada, before coming to Newfoundland in 1864 to become the first director of the Geological Survey of Newfoundland...
of the Geological Survey of Canada referred to the lake as Lake of Bays.
Lake Characteristics
Lake of Bays is a deep, cold, infertile lake which forms an important part of the Muskoka watershedDrainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
. Despite its size and basin shape, low fertility and a short residence time
Residence time
Residence time is the average amount of time that a particle spends in a particular system. This measurement varies directly with the amount of substance that is present in the system....
combine to make it only moderately productive. Lake of Bays water is clear, and the maximum secchi disc
Secchi disk
The Secchi disk, created in 1865 by Pietro Angelo Secchi SJ, is a circular disk used to measure water transparency in oceans and lakes. The disc is mounted on a pole or line, and lowered slowly down in the water. The depth at which the pattern on the disk is no longer visible is taken as a measure...
reading obtained was 8 m (26.2 ft).
The surface layer
Surface layer
The surface layer is the layer of a turbulent fluid most affected by interaction with a solid surface or the surface separating a gas and a liquid where the characteristics of the turbulence depend on distance from the interface...
, which is 9 metres (29.5 ft) in depth, varies in temperature throughout the year. In the summer months of July and August, the surface layer can have an average temperature approaching 21 °C (69.8 °F), while the top few metres can warm to about 26.5 °C (79.7 °F). Below the top layer, the summer temperature drops rapidly to around 7 °C (44.6 °F).
Fish Species
There are many fishFish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
species in Lake of Bays. Those known to exist are:
- Lake troutLake troutLake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
- Brook troutBrook troutThe brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...
- Rainbow troutRainbow troutThe rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
- Smallmouth bassSmallmouth bassThe smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
- WhitefishWhitefishWhitefish or white fish may refer to:In fishing terminology:* Whitefish , a fisheries term referring to the flesh of many types of fishIn fish species:...
- Northern pikeNorthern PikeThe northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
- Lake herring
- White suckerWhite SuckerThe White Sucker is a bottom-feeding freshwater fish inhabiting North America from Labrador in the north to Georgia and New Mexico in the south. It is a long, round-bodied fish with a dark green, grey, copper, brown, or black back and sides and a light underbelly. When fullgrown, it is between 12...
- Longnose suckerLongnose suckerThe longnose sucker, Catostomus catostomus, is a freshwater species of fish inhabiting cold, clear waters in North America from northern USA to the top of the continent. In addition, it is one of two species of sucker to inhabit Asia, specifically the rivers of eastern Siberia...
- BurbotBurbotThe burbot is the only gadiform fish inhabiting freshwaters. It is also known as mariah, the lawyer, and eelpout. It is closely related to the marine common ling and the cusk...
- Yellow perchYellow perchThe yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...
- Trout-perchPercopsidaePercopsidae is a family of fish in the order Percopsiformes. Its living members are two North American fresh water species of the genus Percopsis, trout-perch Percopsis omiscomaycus and sand roller Percopsis transmontana .They are small fish with weak fin spines, and an adipose fin similar to...
- Rainbow smeltRainbow smeltThe rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax, is an anadromous species of fish of the family Osmeridae. The distribution of Osmerus mordax is circumpolar. The rainbow smelt was introduced to the Great Lakes, and from there has made its way to various other places. Walleye, trout, and other larger fish prey on...
- Brown bullheadBrown bullheadThe brown bullhead, Ameiurus nebulosus, is a fish of the Ictaluridae family that is widely distributed in North America. It is a species of bullhead catfish and is similar to the black bullhead and yellow bullhead...
- Fathead minnowFathead minnowThe fathead minnow , is a species of temperate freshwater fish belonging to the Pimephales genus of the cyprinid family. The natural geographic range extends throughout much of North America, from central Canada south along the Rockies to Texas, and east to Virginia and the Northeastern United...
- Bluntnose minnowBluntnose minnowThe bluntnose minnow, Pimephales notatus, is a species of temperate freshwater fish belonging to the Pimephales genus of the cyprinid family. The natural geographic range extends from the Great Lakes south along the Mississippi River basin to Louisiana, and east across the Midwestern United States...
- Common shinerCommon ShinerThe Common Shiner is a fish found in North America. They average in length between 2½ to 4 inches.-Description:The Common Shiner is silvery colored and has an "olive back with a dark dorsal stripe."...
- Blacknose shinerBlacknose ShinerBlacknose Shiner is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Notropis....
- Northern redbelly daceNorthern redbelly daceThe northern redbelly dace, Chrosomus eos, is a freshwater cyprinid fish, generally found in lakes and small streams in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. It is one of fouty-four species from the minnow and carp family of Cyprinidae in these areas...
- Brook sticklebackBrook sticklebackThe Brook stickleback is a small freshwater fish that is distributed across the US and Canada. It grows to a length of about 2 inches. It occupies the northern part of the eastern United States, as well as the southern half of Canada...
- Pearl dace
- Creek chub
Fishing
Lake of Bays is fished by cottagers, local residents and many visitors to the area. Lake troutLake trout
Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
and smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
are the main sport species and the lake has produced a number of trophy lake trout
Lake trout
Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
in excess of 20 pounds. These trout are difficult to catch, and require heavy trolling equipment once the lake warms up. Smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
are often found in the shallower water around the shores and on shoals. During the winter, the lake provides fishing for lake trout
Lake trout
Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
, whitefish
Whitefish
Whitefish or white fish may refer to:In fishing terminology:* Whitefish , a fisheries term referring to the flesh of many types of fishIn fish species:...
, smelts, and burbot
Burbot
The burbot is the only gadiform fish inhabiting freshwaters. It is also known as mariah, the lawyer, and eelpout. It is closely related to the marine common ling and the cusk...
.