The City of Kawartha Lakes has a somewhat misleading name, while called a city it is actually a unitary municipality in South Central Ontario, it is the size of a typical Ontario county and is predominantly rural. With a population of approx. 73,000 some of the main towns and cities in the area are Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, Lindsay, Omemee and Woodville. The area has many beautiful lakes and charming towns dotting its countryside with a myriad of activities and attractions. There are over 250 lakes and rivers in the region as well as five provincial parks.
The City of Kawartha Lakes also has a website with a more detailed list of activities and amenities which can be found here.
It is approximately an hour and a half drive from Toronto to the centre of the Kawartha Lakes region.
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Balsam Lake
Looking for a lake with the reputation and quality of some of the more popular Muskoka lakes like Lake Joseph? If so then this is it, this lake has everything you could ever want from great fishing, fantastic views, to the peace and tranquility you deserve!
No one could be disappointed with what this lake has to offer.
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Cameron Lake
Cameron Lake is located in the heart of the Kawartha Lakes Region. The surrounding landscape is characteristic of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Lowlands. A spectacular 7m falls between Cameron and Sturgeon Lakes being the focal point. All these features are compliments of the glaciers in the last ice age.
If you find yourself lucky enough to be on this lake you’ll have to be sure to stop by Fenelon Falls, try your luck at fishing, and if you have time take a leisurely cruise up the adjoing Burnt River!
Sturgeon Lake
Sturgeon Lake is located in the heart of the Kawartha Lakes Region. The surrounding landscape is characteristic of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Lowlands. A spectacular 7m falls between Cameron and Sturgeon Lakes being the focal point. All these features are compliments of the glaciers in the last ice age.
An absolutely stunning lake surrounded by three beautiful towns, Fenelon Falls, Lindsay and Bobcaygeon!
Coboconk is a town located in the Kawartha Lakes region of South Central Ontario. It sits at the northern tip of Balsam Lake, the highest point on the Trent-Severn Waterway. With a population of approx. 800 it is a busy hub in the summer serving cottagers and outlying communities. Settled in 1851, the name Coboconk is an anglicism of an indigenous word which signifies “where the gulls nest”. Traditionally a village serving the lumber industry, its main industry today is tourism.
Some features of the town are: an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) station, a fire hall, a public school named Ridgewood P.S., a medical centre, a post office, several churches, a mixed use library and community centre, an LCBO, a The Beer Store.
Coboconk is approximately 2 hours drive from Toronto and a half hour from Lindsay.
Coboconk has a Chamber of Commerce whose website also contains information about the goings-on in town which can be found here.
Balsam Lake is the highest point along the Trent-Severn Waterway. On the west side, water flows westward into the Severn system. On the east side, it flows eastward into Cameron Lake. The lake receives water from the Canadian shield in the north and from the lands immediately surrounding the lake, including the Staples River subwatershed.
The lake is located in the Kawartha lakes region of south central Ontario, Canada. It is 16 km long and averages 3 km wide, though its actual width varies due to the many large bays the carve its shoreline. The Gull River empties into it.
The village of Coboconk, Ontario is located on the north side of the lake. Balsam Lake Provincial Park is also located on the lake.
The lake offers excellent fishing for bass, walleye, and muskie. Mackenzie Bay in West Bay is a popular spot for boats to congregate on a warm summer day.
The Balsam Lake Association Inc (BLA) was formed in 1970 and is now one of the largest cottagers associations in the Kawartha Lakes representing the interests of cottagers and waterfront residents.
Membership is open to the lake Road Associations and permanent and seasonal residents.
Gull River is in the Algonquin Highlands and Dysart et al, Haliburton County and the Kawartha Lakes in South-Central Ontario. It is in the Trent River and Lake Ontario drainage basins, and flows from southern Algonquin Provincial Park to Balsam Lake on the Trent–Severn Waterway. The towns of Minden, Norland, and Coboconk sit along Gull River as well as several towns where the Gull River widens into lakes.
Gull River is dam controlled and also offers opportunities for white water kayaking.
It is approximately 2 hours drive from Toronto and approximately 50 minutes from Lindsay.
Burnt River is a river which flows South from its source at Miskwabi Lake in Highlands East, Haliburton County South into the Kawartha Lakes region. It empties into Cameron Lake, part of the Trent-Severn Waterway. The town of Burnt River is located near its southern end, Kinmount is another settlement along the river.
There are three major species of fish in the river including walleye, muskie and smallmouth bass. Including regular fishing, fly fishing is also possible in parts of the river. The Victoria Railway is an old railway track which ran along the river, the old railway bed is currently a recreational trail.
The middle part of Burnt River is approximately 2 hours by car from Toronto and an half hour from Lindsay.
Sturgeon Lake is located in the Kawartha Lakes region in South Central Ontario. It is a long and narrow lake in a Y shape with 46 km² of surface area. It is located along the Trent-Severn Waterway system; the Scugog River drains into Sturgeon from the South and Cameron Lake drains into it from the Northwest. Sturgeon Lake is also attached to Pigeon Lake at its Northeast corner and Emily Creek drains out in the middle of the left Y of the lake. The Lake has several communities of varying sizes along its shores including Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon, Sturgeon Point, and the city of Lindsay.
Outdoor enthusiasts will find plenty to do on and around Sturgeon Lake. Fisherman will encounter game fish species including large and small mouth bass, muskie, and walleye. There is also the Ken Reid Conservation Area at the southern point of the lake.
Sturgeon Lake is approximately a 2 hour drive from Toronto and a 50 minute drive from Peterborough.
Shadow Lake is located in the Kawartha Lakes region in South Central Ontario. Shadow Lake is part of the Gull River system; the river comes down from the North from Moore and Gull Lakes. Shadow Lake drains South into Silver Lake and the Gull River continues down into Balsam Lake. The community of Norland sits near the North end of Shadow Lake, the town of Dongola sits to the East, and Coboconk is nearby to the South along the Gull River.
Shadow Lake creates ideal boating conditions for activities including canoeing, kayaking and sailing.
Shadow Lakes Association Inc. is a cottager’s association which serves the lake.
It is a 2 hour and 30 minute drive from Toronto and a half hour from Lindsay.
Head Lake is located in the Kawartha Lakes region in South Central Ontario. It is approximately 4.8 km wide and 8 km long and its maximum depth is 9 meters. The small community of Head Lake sits at the southern end of the lake and there are also nearby settlements: Uphill to the West, Norland to the East, and Coboconk to the South.
It is approximately a 2 hour drive from Toronto and approximately an hour from both Orillia and Lindsay.
Four Mile Lake is located in the Kawartha Lakes region in South Central Ontario. The lake is 7.86 square kilometers in surface area. It is a short drive to the village of Coboconk to the West and the settlement of Burnt River to the East. The lake has an average depth of 8.8 meters and is approximately 19 meters at its deepest point.
Is is a closed lake with no water access to any other lakes. The Lake holds approximately 450 cottages and homes and are accessed by four private roads maintained by the property owners. There is a public boat launch and boat traffic is moderate on the lake. Numerous species of fish can be found in the lake, including brown bullhead, lake herring, largemouth bass, muskellunge, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, white sucker, yellow perch, and walleye.
Four Mile Lake is approximately 2 hours by car from Toronto and slightly over an hour drive to Peterborough.
Four Mile Lake Association is the cottage owners association for the lake.
Fenelon Falls is a village in the Kawartha Lakes region. Nicknamed “The Jewel of the Kawarthas” Fenelon Falls was incorporated in 1874 and sits on the Trent-Severn Waterway system between Cameron Lake to the West and Sturgeon Lake to the Southeast, Fenelon Falls also has a lift lock in the town. The town holds approximately 1800 residents year-round which increases during the summer due to tourism and cottagers. Fenelon Falls also has a primary and secondary school.
The Village has its own website with further information which can be found here.
Cameron Lake is a lake located in the Kawartha Lakes region of South Central Ontario. Cameron Lake is part of the Trent-Severn Waterway system and receives its inflows from the Burnt River in the North and Balsam Lake to the Northwest while it drains via the Fenelon River into Sturgeon Lake. Cameron Lake is approximately 14 square kilometers and has the benefit of being rather deep reaching 15 meters (49 ft.) at its deepest.
The Lake’s shores are predominantly occupied by cottages, as well as the town of Fenelon Falls at the Southeast end of the lake. The lake is popular with Fisherman and Boaters, Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass, Walleye, and Muskie are just some of the fish species which populate this lake.
Cameron Lake is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes from Toronto and 1 hour from Peterborough by car.
<strong>Norland</strong> is a small town in the Kawartha Lakes region of South-Central Ontario. It sits along the scenic Gull River near the North end of Shadow Lake. The town is near scenic Elliott Falls, has a beach, an inn, and a golf course nearby. Queens Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park is also a short drive from Norland.
Norland is approximately a 2 hour drive from Toronto and a half hour from Lindsay.
Norland shares a chamber of commerce with Coboconk, their website can be found here.
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Haliburton is a community in Haliburton County a.k.a. the “Haliburton Highlands” located in Central Ontario. The town acts as a hub for the many cottagers and outlying communities in the region. Most of the activity in the town occurs during the summer. The population is approximately 6000 people year-round and increases in the summer.
The village sits on Head Lake (a different Head Lake than the Head Lake we have listed here on our website). The area is well known for its outdoor activities both on and off the water. The southern portion of Algonquin Park is also at the northern end of the county. The area also has a rich cultural landscape with much to offer for patrons of the arts including galleries, festivals, museums, and much more.
Haliburton is approximately 2 and a half hours from Toronto by car.
The Haliburton area has a tourism website, you can find more information about the area here.
Canal Lake is located in the Kawartha Lakes region of South Central Ontario. It is part of the Trent-Severn Waterway System connected to Lake Simcoe to the West and connected to Mitchell Lake to the East both by lift locks. The Lake is approximately 8.5 square kilometers in surface area and has depths which average between 4.4 feet and 15 feet. Settlements on the lake include Bolsover to the Southwest and Rohallion to the North. Kirkfield is the nearest village of decent size. The “Hole in the Wall” bridge crosses Canal Lake and is a designated National Historic Site of Canada.
Canal Lake is popular among fisherman. There is a variety of fish available including largemouth bass, pike, muskellunge, and an abundance of panfish.
Canal Lake is approximately an hour and half drive from Toronto and a forty minute drive from Lindsay.
Buckhorn Lake is located in South Central Ontario in the Kawartha Lakes region (In the townships of Trent Lakes, Selwyn, and Peterborough County specifically). The lake is connected to Pigeon Lake to the West, Chemong Lake to the South, and Lower Buckhorn Lake to the East. Buckhorn Lake is also connected to the Trent-Severn Waterway with a lift lock and dam located in the town of Buckhorn. Settlements on the lake include Buckhorn, Curve Lake First Nation, Gannon Village, Gannon Beach, Kawartha Hideaway, Kimberley Park, Oak Orchard and Young’s Cove.
The Buckhorn Lake area is rich in outdoor activities both on and off the water the whole year around. The Lake is also excellent for fishing. Anglers will be pleased to know the lake contains Muskie, Small and Largemouth Bass, Pickerel, Perch, Crappie, Sunfish, and the Common Carp. The area is rich in cultural fare from Art Galleries to Antique Shops to Farms dotting the region. The Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park is also a short drive North of Buckhorn Lake.
Buckhorn Lake is approximately 2 hours from Toronto and 40 minutes from Peterborough by car.
Further information about the Buckhorn Lake area can be found here
Bobcaygeon is a town in the City of Kawartha Lakes in South-Central Ontario. Also known as “The hub of the Kawarthas” it is located on the Trent-Severn Waterway the town contains several narrows and a lift-lock (the first lock constructed along the Trent-Severn) which connects it to Sturgeon Lake to the West and Pigeon Lake to the East. The town initially built up around its sawmill and lumber industry and was eventually incorporated into a village in 1876.
In modern times, the town’s main industry is tourism, mainly related to fishing and travel along the Trent-Severn. It serves as a hub for many smaller communities spread throughout the region. The town holds a population of approx. 3500 people and contains a public school and a vibrant downtown.
Bobcaygeon is approximately 2 hours from Toronto by car.
Bobcaygeon also has a Chamber of Commerce, its website has further information about the town and its goings-on which can be found here.
Pigeon Lake is located in the Kawartha Lakes region of South Central Ontario. It is a long narrow lake with a surface area of 49 km². It is part of the Trent-Severn Waterway, attached to Sturgeon Lake to the West, Buckhorn Lake to the East, Little Bald Lake to the North, and drains into the Pigeon River to the South. There are various towns and settlements along the lake including Bobcaygeon, Nogie’s Creek, Point Pleasant, Lakeview Estates, and Alpine Village.
It is popular among fisherman and boaters. Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Musky and Walleye can be caught in Pigeon Lake. There is also a yacht club and several resorts and camp sites along the lake.
Pigeon lake is approximately a 2 hour 30 minute drive from Toronto and a half hour from Peterborough.
Little Bald Lake is a small lake located in the Kawartha Lakes region in South Central Ontario. It is a spring-fed lake connected to Pigeon Lake to the West and Big Bald lake to the East and is subsequently part of the Trent-Severn Waterway. Nearby towns include Buckhorn to the East and Point Pleasant to the West.
Little Bald Lake is known for its fishing and bird populations and contains wild rice on the North shore which is harvested by the Curve Lake first nation in the Fall.
It is approximately 2 hours 15 minutes by car from Toronto to Little Bald Lake and 45 minutes from Peterborough.