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Ontario Boating - Central

Pink granite islands, worn smooth by centuries… windswept white pines… a wide open WaterWay to the centre of the continent, cozy lakes nestled among the rolling hills… the Central Region of Ontario has appeal for every boater.  Whether your destination is the other side of the horizon, the bass-filled bay at the other end of the lake, or just enough water to open up and fly, come and explore.  You can start with the trip from Lake Couchiching to Georgian Bay.

Severn Waterway

Heading north on Lake Couchiching, the channel narrows, hemmed in by shoals of Canadian Shield granite.  At the top of the lake, the Trent-Severn WaterWay continues north and west to Georgian Bay.  When the traffic is light the trip can take less than five hours but don’t be in a hurry on peak summer weekends.  Take your time.  Wet a line in Sparrow Lake, marvel at the marine railway at Big Chute, and watch for wildlife.  Mink, beaver, muskrat share the water with the rare spotted turtle.  White tailed deer come down to drink.  Finally, after 237 miles from Lake Ontario, this glorious string of lakes, canals and rivers opens out into Georgian Bay.

Sparrow Lake

Northbound, this is the last large body of water between Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay and may be the best fishing spot on the entire WaterWay.  Sparrow Lake is roughly three miles long and a mile and a half wide.  Its shore is flooded forest, with prop-eating, fish-hiding stumps and weeds.  You’ll find pike, pickerel, large- and small-mouth bass and muskellunge – especially in Deep Bay (It used to be a sanctuary).  As you enter the lake, Lauderdale Point is to port.  Port Stanton is a little more than half a mile west across Welsh Bay and a good spot to stretch your legs.  Continuing north, rocks and islands litter the way but the channel is well marked.  Past the entrance to Deep Bay, the Port Lock Channel takes you into McLean Bay and with a port turn from there you’re back into the river.

Severn River

The Severn River joins the Trent-Severn Waterway just west of Highway 11, not far downstream from Lake Couchiching.  In the thirty miles or so from Couchiching Lock (#41) to Port Severn the river drops about 150 feet.  Highlights of this meandering voyage include McDonald’s Cut where soaring rock faces honour the hard work of the channel builders in the early 1900s, men who carved this rock by hand and dynamite.  Swift Rapids (Lock #43) has the highest lift of any conventional lock on the WaterWay (47 feet).  The renowned Marine Railway at Big Chute not only saved cutting a channel through granite it also helps control sea lampreys.  At Big Chute, boats are carried in slings 600 feet over a huge granite outcropping.  At Port Severn, the final lock drops you down to the level of Georgian Bay.

Lake Simcoe

The largest body of water on the Trent-Severn WaterWay, Lake Simcoe is virtually round (16 by 19 miles) with two deep bays.  As you enter the lake from the Gamebridge Lock, Thorah Island is to the southwest.  It is the second largest island in the lake.  The largest, Georgina, is partly hidden behind it.  While the direct Trent-Severn WaterWay route is about 12 miles in a northwesterly direction to the Atherley Narrows, this lake is one to explore.  You’ll find the mouths of 35 rivers flowing into it – a few of them wide enough to navigate.  You’ll find quaint little villages and a bustling city; cozy anchorages, campgrounds and warm beaches, great places to eat and shop and celebrate all summer long.

East Shore

When you follow the markers to up Atherley Narrows, you pass Lagoon City to the east.  The community of single and multi-unit dwellings is built on a network of manmade canals and is filled with boats.  Transient space is limited, but travelers are welcome for fuel, pump out, service, and at the restaurant.

When you head south from Gamebridge, you pass the mouths of rivers that take you to Beaverton, Pefferlaw and Sutton, villages as interesting as their names.  Continuing south, Georgina begins at the Pefferlaw River.  The mouth of the Pefferlaw River has a well-protected harbour and along the shore is a bustling cottage community.

For boats that draw less than three feet, Sibbald Point Provincial Park has wharves for overnight stays.  Farther west, the village of Jackson’s Point has two public wharves and one of Canada’s oldest theatres, The Red Barn.  The mouth-watering choice of excellent restaurants and shopping make this one of the many places you’ll want to stop for an evening.

Cook’s Bay

If Lake Simcoe is a fist with thumb and forefinger extended, Cook’s Bay is the thumb.  It is shallow and its entrance is marked by a quick flashing red light over Cook’s Shoal.  Watch your charts and markers here as you head toward Keswick at the mouth of the Jersey River, AKA the Maskinonge.  The fishing is excellent throughout the bay and, at its foot, the Holland River is navigable all the way south to the town of Bradford.  Continuing up the west side of Cook’s Bay, Lefroy, Monto Reno and Bell Ewart offer extensive marina facilities.  There are public docks at Innisfil Beach but do watch for shoals as you continue north, particularly the Long Shoal of Sandy Cove.

Kempenfelt Bay

From the south, round Big Bay Point and you head west into the long, deep Kempenfelt Bay.  At its foot lies the energetic city of Barrie.  Newly renovated public docks in Barrie Harbour now offer 300 slips, but on busy weekends, they fill up quickly.  This is particularly true during “Kempenfest” – the annual celebration of the August Long Weekend.  Boats will be rafted five and six deep.  Although Barrie offers a lot of shopping and other attractions, most of the stores are a long walk away, so you might want to plan to take a taxi back to your slip.

West Shore

The shore along the north side of Kempenfelt Bay and up to the Atherley Narrows has some extraordinary cottages (Shanty Bay is a misnomer these days!); large summer homes beside the older cottages that show you just how long Lake Simcoe has been a summer destination.  There is a public dock at Hawkestone, with a general store and service station an easy walk away, but no services.  Continuing north toward Atherley Narrows, you pass Eight Mile Point around Shingle Bay to Atherley.

Lake Couchiching

From Simcoe to Couchiching, you thread the Atherley Narrows, under the bridge that carries Highway 12 across the WaterWay.  The channel is narrow here, especially past the unused railway bridge.  Marinas on both sides mean plenty of traffic.  So boaters are advised to travel with caution.  This is the only outflow from Lake Simcoe – offsetting 35 rivers flowing in – so the current is strong, particularly early in the season.  Northbound, even idling can carry you quickly and southbound, you might need a little throttle to maintain steering control but keep in mind this is a no wake zone.

Lake Couchiching is ten miles long and about three miles wide. The direct line into the lake from the narrows takes you past several small islands.  The two large islands farther north, Horseshoe and Chief’s Island are favourite anchorages.  On long weekends the bays around them are filled with boats.  Don’t be surprised to hear live rock bands on large houseboats playing long into the night.

Orillia is the largest community on Lake Couchiching.  It is well worth a visit.  As you come into the lake from Atherley Narrows, a bifurcation marker indicates the course that will take you past Couchiching Point to the town.  Keep in mind that as you are now heading into port, instead of downstream, you switch sides and keep the green markers to port.

Muskoka

A vacation jewel, the sparkling waters of lakes nestle among rolling hills, white pine and sugar maple forests, and granite shores.  Between them tumbling rivers and waterfalls add their drama.  Although there are actually 1600 lakes in the region, four are best known.  Lake of Bays stands on its own; Muskoka, Rosseau and Joseph are linked into an extraordinary WaterWay with small towns and fascinating villages along the way.  In Victorian times, vacationers would take the train to Gravenhurst and travel to their cottages or summer lodge by steamboat.  Two of those steamboats and a modern replica ply Muskoka waters today.  They are joined by modern vacationers whose cottages, large and small, are tucked into the surrounding landscape.

Lake Muskoka

From the docks at Gravenhurst, the lake stretches north and west to Port Carling.  Since the turn of the last century, this has been the epitome of Ontario’s cottage country.  Rugged rocks carved by glaciers and aeons of wind and water… Victorian mansions and luxurious lodges… wakeboarders and classic antique watercraft in quarter-sawn oak, birds’ eye maple, and mahogany… you’ll see some of the most beautiful old boats from days past as you explore the myriad bays.

Lake Rosseau

It has been said that cottagers in Muskoka often choose between a boat and a golf club membership, but it is difficult to keep your eye on the ball when the beauty of the lake is so close at hand.  Cozy villages slide down into the valleys, pink granite shores and warm sandy beaches line the shore, islands rise like whalebacks from clear water with a graceful pine to catch the wind.  From the lock at Port Carling to the town of Rosseau, this lake has been a summer place for generations… and today, the boating season is filled with celebrations and some of the best antique hunting anywhere.

Lake Joseph

But for a narrow strip of land between them, Lake Joseph would be part of Lake Rosseau.  It’s fitting.  The lakes were named for Joseph Rosseau, a local businessman in the 1800’s.  Early lumber trade gave way to tourism in Queen Victoria’s time and today a few of the grand old resorts still offer summer escape.  Explore Lake Joseph by canoe, by sail, or motor boat… take a trip on a tour boat and you’ll see islands with Victorian cottages, beaches in front of luxurious summer homes, and enjoy the epitome of cottage country.

Haliburton

A land of quiet lakes and noisy rivers… white throated sparrows rising with the sun and grey jays, cheeky enough to steal food from your plate.  It’s a place for canoes and kayaks, portages and campfires, moose and deer, trout fishing and howling with the wolves.  Canoe routes and hiking trails can give you a taste of adventure for a few days, a week or longer and outfitters will see that you have everything you need for your trip.  This is wilderness, tamed just enough… towns and villages with a rough-and-ready past… an escape into a natural work of art.

Haliburton South

As you travel the meandering roadways that switch back through rock cuts and descend into pine forests, the water will beckon.  Whether you rent from an outfitter, or bring your own boat, you’ll see the best view of the region afloat.  You can rent a cottage or cabin, stay at a lodge, luxuriate in a spa or make friends at a bed and breakfast… just make sure you spend some of your time here on the water.

Haliburton North

Launch your boat in one of these lakes and you might see a few canoes… but with every yellow portage sign you pass, you will leave the crowds behind.  That night, yours might well be the only campfire on the lake.  The aches in your shoulders and knees are worth it.  There are cottages and lodges, villages to explore, but the real excitement of Haliburton North is when you can truly get away from it all.

Georgian Bay

From the longest freshwater beach in the world, past more than 30,000 islands to the limestone flowerpots at Tobermory, Georgian Bay offers many different personalities.   You can set sail to the horizon; the largest fresh water bay in the world has open water.  This bay is almost as large as Lake Ontario.  You can catch salmon and rainbow trout, pickerel and bass; gunkhole among the craggy islands; bask in the lee of the Niagara Escarpment or explore sunken ships in crystal water.  Along the shore there are towns and history to discover, with cozy harbours and all the services you need.

Thirty Thousand Islands

An archipelago that stretches 100 miles, the “30,000 Islands” number more than 40,000.  Some barely rise above the waves and the WaterWays that weave among them invite exploration.  You’ll find cozy anchorages, secluded beaches, lonely lighthouses and some of the world’s oldest rocks sculpted into sensuous curves by aeons of wind and wave.  You can explore in a kayak, cruiser, or under sail and there are many tour boats to give you the highlights.  Towns along the shoreline are prepared for boaters, with exceptional harbour facilities, places to shop and dine.  Living museums breathe life into 400 years of exploration and the War of 1812.

Nottawasaga Bay

In the south of the bay, rivers have eroded the hills to create the world’s longest freshwater stretch of sand, Wasaga Beach.  From here around to Collingwood, Nottawasaga Bay gives boaters a whole summer full of things to do.  You can fish at the mouths of the rivers for salmon, brown and rainbow trout.  You can stretch out on the beach and watch a spectacular sunset.  You can ride a bicycle up a mountain, splash in a waterslide, paddle up a river, shop and dine to your heart’s content and celebrate summer in the many festivals.

Bruce Peninsula North

As the glaciers retreated 16000 years ago (give or take a millennium!) a huge plate of land tipped up to create a great curving limestone cliff from Niagara Falls to Manitoulin Island.  The Bruce Peninsula that lies between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay is part of this Niagara Escarpment – a World Biosphere Reserve.  At its northern tip, Tobermory, the Escarpment seems to end but rises again in the world’s largest freshwater island.  Explore the towns along its eastern shore, dive in the underwater provincial park at its tip, enjoy all this extraordinary WaterWay has to offer.

Lake Huron

The second largest of the Great Lakes, Huron is more than 200 miles long and 180 miles across at its widest point.   Every summer yachts set sail and race in open water from end to end, island to island, or cruise from port to port.  Against a long stretch of beach, or the gleaming white Niagara Escarpment limestone, the vivid blue water is an open invitation.  Cruising, swimming, fishing, diving; towns and tumbling rivers to explore and a cozy anchorage at the end of each day, Lake Huron has it all.

Lambton Shores

The beach seems almost endless… from Port Huron at the St Clair River, along its southern and eastern shores, the sand is a broad ribbon against the dazzling blue water.  Dubbed the Sun Coast, this extraordinary stretch of Lake Huron shore has cozy ports, rivers to explore by kayak or canoe, and salmon runs in spring and fall.  The towns along the way cater to tourists who arrive by automobile or watercraft, with dining, supplies, and interesting shops close to the port.

Bluewater

The Huron beaches continue in Bluewater – a new municipality formed by the amalgamation of Zurich, Hensall and Bayfield. Along the shores, walking and cycling trails, parks and golf courses give boaters an opportunity to stretch their legs… or stretch their minds and imaginations in local theatres, artists’ studios and museums.  Marinas in the area have slips for about 400 boats.  So there should be room for you.  Whatever you do, make sure you’re on the beach or back on board for the sunsets… they can be spectacular.

The history of Kincardine is rooted in the days of steamships and lake freighters but now the regular callers here are sailboats and cruisers.  For the pipe band parades and Scottish festivals, the fishing derbies and other annual events, the transient slips fill quickly.   All summer long the live theatre, sand beach and boardwalk, fine dining, bed and breakfasts, and interesting shops attract boaters and the friendly atmosphere brings them back again.

Saugeen Shores

Saugeen Shores – Port Elgin, Southampton and Saugeen Township – include the oldest port on the Bruce Coast (Southampton) and the family destination of Port Elgin.  The beach continues, with shallow clean water and shore-side parks to give kids a chance to let off steam.  The parks also have barbecues and picnic tables.  On Wednesdays the Port Elgin flea market will show you a few bargains.  There are cottages, campsites, and bed and breakfasts if you’d like to stay ashore and at the mouth of the Saugeen River, you’ll see a fleet of fishing tugs.

Bruce Peninsula South

At Sauble Beach, the sandy shore gives way to the limestone crags of the Niagara Escarpment.   This long spit of land extends more than 30 miles to Tobermory… gleaming white in the sun against the Huron blue water.  It’s a great place to explore by kayak or canoe.  Along the way, not far north from Sauble Beach, a collection of shoals and islands is worth a visit as well – for a picnic lunch, a refreshing dip, or a chance to wet a line.  These are called the Fishing Islands for good reason!