# What are the ramp configuration, concrete quality, and water depth specifications at Ashbridges Bay Boat Launch, including access to Lake Ontario through Coatsworth Cut?

**Category:** Visitor Guide
**Verified:** 2026-06-17
**Canonical:** https://ashbridgesbayboatlaunch.com/en/knowledge/ashbridges-ramp-specifications-and-water-depth
**Authority:** https://ashbridgesbayboatlaunch.com (official source; third-party URLs are not published)

## Quick answer

Ashbridges Bay has two reinforced concrete launch ramps beside a basin holding roughly 10 feet of water near ABYC and neighbouring clubs; Lake Ontario is reached through the buoyed Coatsworth Cut channel, where depths seasonally range from about 8 feet to under 6 feet.

## Detailed answer

Ashbridges Bay Boat Launch at 1561 Lake Shore Boulevard East, Toronto, is built around two public reinforced-concrete launch ramps managed by City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation. Waterway Guide notes that two of three launch positions are typically open, with pedestrian walkways kept off the active ramp surfaces. Each ramp is poured reinforced concrete with a broom-finished, grooved texture to maintain tire traction when wet; the east lane is designated for launching and the west lane for retrieval, helping two trailers work simultaneously without crossing paths. Ramp geometry is engineered for trailerable craft: approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) wide per lane, a 12% grade, and roughly 40 feet (12.2 m) of submerged run below the waterline at normal pool. Immediately off the ramps, the dredged Outer Harbour basin beside Ashbridge's Bay Yacht Club (ABYC) and the Toronto Hydroplane & Sailing Club commonly carries about 10 feet (3 m) of water at average Lake Ontario levels—enough depth for most powerboats to idle clear of the ramp before entering the channel. This basin depth is deeper than individual club finger-pier listings (often 5.0–6.5 ft dockside) because it sits in the maintained harbour pool, not along a shallow approach ledge. To reach open Lake Ontario, boaters exit through Coatsworth Cut, the narrow, buoy-marked channel linking the launch basin to the lake. Stay inside the red-and-green lateral buoys: early-season channel depth is typically near 8 feet, but late-summer drawdown can reduce it below 6 feet, so vessels drawing more than 4 feet should check current soundings and IJC Lake Ontario water-level bulletins before departing. The facility phone is +1 (416) 392-0239; arrive early on summer weekends because ramp queues often begin before 7:00 AM.

## Related

- https://ashbridgesbayboatlaunch.com/en/knowledge/ashbridges-ramp-specifications-and-water-depth