Is Oxtongue Lake safe to swim in?

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Oxtongue Lake has an overall water quality grade of B. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

Haliburton County, Ontario · Water Quality Report Card

Oxtongue Lake

Grade B — Good

Oligotrophic

Oxtongue Lake in Haliburton, Ontario received a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 2.9 m visibility. Phosphorus: 8.4 µg/L.

Clarity: 2.9 m
Type: Oligotrophic

Where to stay →Safe to swim?

Oxtongue Lake is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Haliburton County, Ontario. Water quality is graded B based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Compared to the 217 other monitored lakes in Haliburton County, Oxtongue Lake ranks #196 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Ontario MECP, last sampled 2025-08-04. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels

Water Quality Grade: B, Good

Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft. Phosphorus level: 8.4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 40.

Metric	Value	Grade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)	2.9 m	C
Phosphorus	8.4 µg/L	A
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)	40	Oligotrophic

Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming

Where to stay near Oxtongue Lake

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Fishing Oxtongue Lake

→ Oxtongue Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #196 of 218 lakes in Haliburton

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Oxtongue Lake holds Grade B. 5 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Haliburton

Explore Oxtongue Lake across LakeGrade

Lake Fishing Forecast

Species activity outlook by water temperature and season

Oligotrophic Lakes

Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming

The State of Ontario's Lakes

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Top 25 by Secchi water clarity

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Grade A/B + low algae filter

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Panfish-rich, public access

All Ontario lakes

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Other Grade B Lakes in Ontario

Toad Lake

Muskoka District · 2.7 m

Dotty Lake

Muskoka District · 3.1 m

Mansell Lake

Muskoka District · 2.2 m

Nelson Lake

Muskoka District · 3 m

Longline Lake

Muskoka District · 3 m

Pells Lake

Muskoka District · 2 m

Oligotrophic Lakes in Ontario

Fifteen Mile Lake South Tasso Lake Toad Lake Camp Lake

More records, surveys & data sources

Where this data comes from

Measurements for Oxtongue Lake come from the EPA Water Quality Portal. Per-sample source details are not recorded for this lake.

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion

Most recent sample: 2025-08-04

Monitoring stations:

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