Best Cottage Lakes in Ontario, Ranked
Ranked by what matters to buyers: drive time, depth, size, fishing, choice and price. Built from our lake guides and live MLS® listings.
Cottage lakes closest to Toronto
For weekenders, the drive decides more than anything else. These are the guided lakes with the shortest typical drive from Toronto to the main town on the lake.
- Sparrow LakeAbout 1 h 30 min from Toronto
Muskoka. Sparrow Lake is about an hour and a half from the GTA and sits right on the Trent-Severn Waterway.
- Sturgeon LakeAbout 1 h 45 min from Toronto
Kawartha Lakes. Sturgeon Lake is shaped like a Y, with a town at the tip of each arm.
- Lake of BaysAbout 2 h from Toronto
Muskoka. Lake of Bays earns its name. Instead of one big basin, it is a tangle of long arms and deep bays, with about 167 km of shoreline wrapped around a lake of roughly 6,780 he…
- Balsam LakeAbout 2 h from Toronto
Kawartha Lakes. Balsam Lake sits at the very top of the Trent-Severn Waterway.
- Cameron LakeAbout 2 h from Toronto
Kawartha Lakes. Cameron Lake is small by Kawartha standards, but it is deep, and the water moves through it fast.
- Shadow LakeAbout 2 h from Toronto
Kawartha Lakes. Shadow Lake is really a wide spot on the Gull River.
- Stony LakeAbout 2 h from Toronto
Peterborough & the Kawarthas. Stoney Lake sits right on the seam between the Canadian Shield and the farm country to the south.
- Clear LakeAbout 2 h from Toronto
Peterborough & the Kawarthas. Clear Lake is the open, breezy end of the Stony Lake system.
- Pigeon LakeAbout 2 h 15 min from Toronto
Kawartha Lakes. Pigeon Lake is long and fairly narrow, running about 27 km from Bobcaygeon in the north toward Omemee in the south.
- Four Mile LakeAbout 2 h 20 min from Toronto
Kawartha Lakes. Four Mile Lake is a closed lake. There is no lock, no river channel and no navigable link to the Trent-Severn, so the only boats on it belong to people who live there or…
Deepest cottage lakes
Deep lakes stay cold and clear below the surface, hold lake trout and are slower to warm in spring. These are the deepest lakes in our guides, by maximum depth.
- Mazinaw LakeAbout 145 m deep
Land O' Lakes & Frontenac. Mazinaw is the lake with the cliff. Mazinaw Rock rises about 100 metres straight out of the water near the narrows, and the lake below it drops to around 145 metres, amon…
- Big Rideau LakeAbout 110 m deep
Rideau Lakes & Thousand Islands. Big Rideau is the largest lake on the Rideau Canal, a long, deep trough of water running roughly 32 kilometres from the Narrows to Rideau Ferry.
- Kennisis LakeAbout 95 m deep
Haliburton Highlands. Kennisis is big, deep and cold. Together with Little Kennisis it forms the second-largest lake in the Haliburton Highlands, at over 16 square kilometres, and the main lak…
- Lake JosephAbout 93 m deep
Muskoka. Lake Joseph is the deepest and clearest of Muskoka's Big Three.
- Charleston LakeAbout 91 m deep
Rideau Lakes & Thousand Islands. Charleston Lake feels farther north than it is.
- Lake RosseauAbout 89 m deep
Muskoka. Lake Rosseau is the middle of the three big Muskoka lakes, and everything passes through it.
- Redstone LakeAbout 82 m deep
Haliburton Highlands. Redstone is classic deep Shield trout water.
- Lake MuskokaAbout 73 m deep
Muskoka. Lake Muskoka is the largest of Muskoka's Big Three and the busiest.
- Lake of BaysAbout 70 m deep
Muskoka. Lake of Bays earns its name. Instead of one big basin, it is a tangle of long arms and deep bays, with about 167 km of shoreline wrapped around a lake of roughly 6,780 he…
- Fairy LakeAbout 69 m deep
Muskoka. Fairy Lake is the lake Huntsville grew up around.
Biggest inland lakes for boating
Big water means long boat rides, sailing and room to roam, and usually more traffic. These are the largest inland lakes in our guides by surface area (Georgian Bay and Lake Simcoe are left out as big water in their own class).
- Lake Muskoka121 km²
Muskoka. Lake Muskoka is the largest of Muskoka's Big Three and the busiest.
- Lake of Bays6,780 ha
Muskoka. Lake of Bays earns its name. Instead of one big basin, it is a tangle of long arms and deep bays, with about 167 km of shoreline wrapped around a lake of roughly 6,780 he…
- Lake Rosseau6,390 ha
Muskoka. Lake Rosseau is the middle of the three big Muskoka lakes, and everything passes through it.
- Pigeon Lake5,700 ha
Kawartha Lakes. Pigeon Lake is long and fairly narrow, running about 27 km from Bobcaygeon in the north toward Omemee in the south.
- Lake Joseph5,460 ha
Muskoka. Lake Joseph is the deepest and clearest of Muskoka's Big Three.
- Balsam Lake4,800 ha
Kawartha Lakes. Balsam Lake sits at the very top of the Trent-Severn Waterway.
- Sturgeon Lake4,700 ha
Kawartha Lakes. Sturgeon Lake is shaped like a Y, with a town at the tip of each arm.
- Lake Couchiching3,375 ha
Georgian Bay & Simcoe County. Couchiching is the smaller, narrower lake that hangs off the north end of Lake Simcoe, and that size is a big part of its appeal.
- Stony Lake2,765 ha
Peterborough & the Kawarthas. Stoney Lake sits right on the seam between the Canadian Shield and the farm country to the south.
- Charleston Lake2,620 ha
Rideau Lakes & Thousand Islands. Charleston Lake feels farther north than it is.
Best lake trout lakes
Lake trout need cold, deep, well-oxygenated water, so they are a sign of a healthy deep lake. These guided lakes list lake trout among their fish, deepest first. Lake trout lakes can also carry stricter rules on new lots.
- Mazinaw LakeLake trout · 145 m max depth
Land O' Lakes & Frontenac. Mazinaw is the lake with the cliff. Mazinaw Rock rises about 100 metres straight out of the water near the narrows, and the lake below it drops to around 145 metres, amon…
- Big Rideau LakeLake trout · 110 m max depth
Rideau Lakes & Thousand Islands. Big Rideau is the largest lake on the Rideau Canal, a long, deep trough of water running roughly 32 kilometres from the Narrows to Rideau Ferry.
- Kennisis LakeLake trout · 95 m max depth
Haliburton Highlands. Kennisis is big, deep and cold. Together with Little Kennisis it forms the second-largest lake in the Haliburton Highlands, at over 16 square kilometres, and the main lak…
- Lake JosephLake trout · 93 m max depth
Muskoka. Lake Joseph is the deepest and clearest of Muskoka's Big Three.
- Charleston LakeLake trout · 91 m max depth
Rideau Lakes & Thousand Islands. Charleston Lake feels farther north than it is.
- Lake RosseauLake trout · 89 m max depth
Muskoka. Lake Rosseau is the middle of the three big Muskoka lakes, and everything passes through it.
- Redstone LakeLake trout · 82 m max depth
Haliburton Highlands. Redstone is classic deep Shield trout water.
- Lake MuskokaLake trout · 73 m max depth
Muskoka. Lake Muskoka is the largest of Muskoka's Big Three and the busiest.
- Lake of BaysLake trout · 70 m max depth
Muskoka. Lake of Bays earns its name. Instead of one big basin, it is a tangle of long arms and deep bays, with about 167 km of shoreline wrapped around a lake of roughly 6,780 he…
- Fairy LakeLake trout · 69 m max depth
Muskoka. Fairy Lake is the lake Huntsville grew up around.
Lakes for walleye and muskie
Warmer, shallower lakes and the Trent-Severn chain are where walleye (pickerel) and muskellunge do best. These guided lakes list both.
- Lake RosseauWalleye and muskie
Muskoka. Lake Rosseau is the middle of the three big Muskoka lakes, and everything passes through it.
- Lake JosephWalleye and muskie
Muskoka. Lake Joseph is the deepest and clearest of Muskoka's Big Three.
- Kashagawigamog LakeWalleye and muskie
Haliburton Highlands. Locals just call it Kash. It is the middle and busiest link in the five-lake chain that runs from the village of Haliburton southwest toward Minden, and it has more cotta…
- Balsam LakeWalleye and muskie
Kawartha Lakes. Balsam Lake sits at the very top of the Trent-Severn Waterway.
- Cameron LakeWalleye and muskie
Kawartha Lakes. Cameron Lake is small by Kawartha standards, but it is deep, and the water moves through it fast.
- Sturgeon LakeWalleye and muskie
Kawartha Lakes. Sturgeon Lake is shaped like a Y, with a town at the tip of each arm.
- Pigeon LakeWalleye and muskie
Kawartha Lakes. Pigeon Lake is long and fairly narrow, running about 27 km from Bobcaygeon in the north toward Omemee in the south.
- Four Mile LakeWalleye and muskie
Kawartha Lakes. Four Mile Lake is a closed lake. There is no lock, no river channel and no navigable link to the Trent-Severn, so the only boats on it belong to people who live there or…
- Shadow LakeWalleye and muskie
Kawartha Lakes. Shadow Lake is really a wide spot on the Gull River.
- Stony LakeWalleye and muskie
Peterborough & the Kawarthas. Stoney Lake sits right on the seam between the Canadian Shield and the farm country to the south.
Lakes and waterways with the most cottages for sale right now
More listings means more choice and often more room to negotiate. Counts are live from the MLS® and include every property type on the lake.
- Ottawa River134 for sale now
Ottawa Valley & Madawaska. The river that forms the Ontario and Quebec border, with long lake-like reaches from Arnprior to Mattawa.
- St. Lawrence River and Thousand Islands126 for sale now
Rideau Lakes & Thousand Islands. The river from Gananoque to Cardinal, including most of the Canadian Thousand Islands and the open water below Brockville.
- Lake Muskoka116 for sale now
Muskoka. Lake Muskoka is the largest of Muskoka's Big Three and the busiest.
- Lake of Bays67 for sale now
Muskoka. Lake of Bays earns its name. Instead of one big basin, it is a tangle of long arms and deep bays, with about 167 km of shoreline wrapped around a lake of roughly 6,780 he…
- Lake Scugog64 for sale now
Lake Simcoe South & Lake Scugog. A large, shallow lake shared by Scugog Township and the City of Kawartha Lakes, with Port Perry on its southwest shore.
- Rice Lake59 for sale now
Peterborough & the Kawarthas. Rice Lake is long, shallow and warm, a very different animal from the rocky Shield lakes to the north.
- Trent River55 for sale now
Northumberland & Trent Hills. A 90 kilometre river from Rice Lake to the Bay of Quinte, navigable by lock for its whole length.
- Pigeon Lake44 for sale now
Kawartha Lakes. Pigeon Lake is long and fairly narrow, running about 27 km from Bobcaygeon in the north toward Omemee in the south.
- Lake Couchiching43 for sale now
Georgian Bay & Simcoe County. Couchiching is the smaller, narrower lake that hangs off the north end of Lake Simcoe, and that size is a big part of its appeal.
- Severn River43 for sale now
Georgian Bay & Simcoe County. The Severn River runs about 30 km from Lake Couchiching to Georgian Bay at Port Severn and forms the last stretch of the Trent-Severn Waterway.
Most affordable cottage lakes
Lakes with at least five cottages or homes for sale, ranked by the lowest median asking price right now (land, resort condos, fractional shares and trailers or park-model units under $100,000 are left out). Lower medians often mean smaller lots, older cottages or water access, so read the listings, not just the number.
- York RiverMedian $394K
Bancroft & Hastings County. A river running through Bancroft and Hastings Highlands.
- Mazinaw LakeMedian $410K
Land O' Lakes & Frontenac. Mazinaw is the lake with the cliff. Mazinaw Rock rises about 100 metres straight out of the water near the narrows, and the lake below it drops to around 145 metres, amon…
- Big East RiverMedian $455K
Muskoka. A winding river north of Huntsville that flows down to Lake Vernon.
- Beaver LakeMedian $460K
Land O' Lakes & Frontenac. The main cottage lake in Stone Mills, beside Erinsville on Highway 41 near Tamworth.
- Sturgeon RiverMedian $479K
Near North, Nipissing & Temagami. A 230 km river that flows south through West Nipissing to Lake Nipissing at Sturgeon Falls.
- Bobs LakeMedian $499K
Land O' Lakes & Frontenac. One of the largest lakes in Frontenac County, a maze of bays and islands at the head of the Tay River.
- Healey LakeMedian $550K
Parry Sound & Almaguin. An inland lake in the Township of The Archipelago, east of Georgian Bay.
- Head LakeMedian $559K
Kawartha Lakes. A broad, shallow lake between Uphill and Norland in the north of the city, on the Head River.
- Skootamatta LakeMedian $584K
Land O' Lakes & Frontenac. A broad, island-dotted lake just west of Cloyne and south of Bon Echo.
- Hay BayMedian $597K
Land O' Lakes & Frontenac. A long, sheltered bay off the north side of the Bay of Quinte in Greater Napanee.
Luxury cottage lakes
Lakes with at least five cottages or homes for sale, ranked by the highest median asking price right now (land, resort condos and fractional shares are left out). This is where Ontario's trophy cottages, boathouses and long family-held frontage trade.
- Lake JosephMedian $4M
Muskoka. Lake Joseph is the deepest and clearest of Muskoka's Big Three.
- Lake RosseauMedian $3M
Muskoka. Lake Rosseau is the middle of the three big Muskoka lakes, and everything passes through it.
- Lake VernonMedian $2.9M
Muskoka. Lake Vernon is Huntsville's lake. The town grew up on the short stretch of the Muskoka River that runs from Vernon's east end to Fairy Lake, so owners here are minutes fr…
- Clear LakeMedian $2.65M
Peterborough & the Kawarthas. Clear Lake is the open, breezy end of the Stony Lake system.
- Mary LakeMedian $2.29M
Muskoka. Mary Lake is the southern anchor of the Huntsville lakes, a big, deep, island-dotted lake with the village of Port Sydney and its sand beach at the bottom end.
- Lake of BaysMedian $2.26M
Muskoka. Lake of Bays earns its name. Instead of one big basin, it is a tangle of long arms and deep bays, with about 167 km of shoreline wrapped around a lake of roughly 6,780 he…
- Rideau RiverMedian $1.6M
Rideau Lakes & Thousand Islands. The river stretch of the Rideau Canal from Smiths Falls through Merrickville and Burritts Rapids toward Ottawa.
- Balsam LakeMedian $1.59M
Kawartha Lakes. Balsam Lake sits at the very top of the Trent-Severn Waterway.
- Kawagama LakeMedian $1.55M
Haliburton Highlands. The largest lake in Haliburton County, on the northwest border with Muskoka near Dorset, with long reaches of forest shoreline.
- Lake MuskokaMedian $1.55M
Muskoka. Lake Muskoka is the largest of Muskoka's Big Three and the busiest.
Drive, depth, size and fish rankings cover the lakes with a full Cottage Connect guide; listing and price rankings cover every lake on the site and update through the day. Listing data © PropTx MLS®.
Common questions
What is the best cottage lake in Ontario?
There is no single best lake. It depends on your drive, budget and how you use the water. Muskoka's big three (Muskoka, Rosseau and Joseph) lead on prestige and boating, deep Haliburton lakes suit swimmers and lake trout anglers, and the Kawarthas offer warmer water, walleye and Trent-Severn boating closer to Toronto. The rankings above sort lakes by each of those needs.
How are these lakes ranked?
Drive time, depth, size and fish come from each lake's researched guide, with sources listed on the lake page. For-sale counts and median asking prices are live from the MLS®. We do not take payment for placement.
What is the cheapest cottage lake near Toronto?
See the most affordable list above, which updates with live listings. Prices on any lake vary widely by frontage, road access and the building, so a low median can hide expensive frontage and a high one can include bargains.
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