About the Lake

Scroll down for different views of the lake.  And click on this link for a map showing the properties on the lake. 

Located in the township of North Frontenac next to the town of Ompah, Palmerston Lake is a large cold-water lake whose water levels are controlled by an outflow dam at its northeastern end.   It has an elevation of 271 metres above sea level. The perimeter of the lake is 29 kilometres and the deepest point is 56.4 metres (185 feet).  

Palmerston Lake is among the 1% of lakes in Ontario that are designated as ‘Lake Trout lakes’.  This designation has significant implications for land-use policies on surrounding land.  [read more].

The Clyde river sub-watershed. Image downloaded from Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority.

Palmerston Lake is the most upstream lake in the Clyde River subwatershed of the Mississippi River watershed.  At its northeastern end,  it drains into Canonto Lake and onward toward Joe’s Lake, into the Clyde River and eventually into the Mississipi River just south of Kerr Lake.  The Mississippi River drains into the Ottawa River. 

Map of Palmerston Lake showing Crown Land (yellow) and private land (gray)

Ontario’s Crown Land Use Policy Atlas, found here, has a description of the Palmerston Lake area.  Here are some highlights: 

  • this area comprises a portion of the vast Madawaska Highlands
  • it is characterized by a picturesque, rugged landscape with well forested hills and many interspersed waterbodies. 
  • the forest is a mixture of mostly middle-aged conifer and deciduous trees, having regenerated following the cutting and fires of the late 1800’s to early 1900’s.
  • bedrock is highly erosion-resistant resulting in irregular drainage patterns and poor soil development.
  • wildlife diversity reflects the mix of forest types with deer being the most abundant large vertebrates. 
  • forestry is the main economic activity.