Lake of Bays vs Lake Muskoka
Put any Ontario cottage lakes side by side: size, depth, drive time, fish, cottages for sale and asking prices.
| Feature | Lake of Bays | Lake Muskoka |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Muskoka | Muskoka |
| Towns | Lake of Bays, Huntsville | Muskoka Lakes, Gravenhurst, Bracebridge |
| For sale now | 60 | 95 |
| Median asking | $119K (cottages and homes: $2.25M) | $975K (cottages and homes: $1.5M) |
| Sold, past year | 49 | 140 |
| Surface area | About 6,780 hectares (67.8 km²) | About 12,100 hectares (121 km²) |
| Maximum depth | About 70 m (mean depth about 22 m) | About 73 m (mean depth about 18 m) |
| Drive from Toronto | About 2 hours, per the Township of Lake of Bays | About 2.5 hours to Port Carling, per the Township of Muskoka Lakes |
| Fish | Lake trout, whitefish, cisco, brook trout, smallmouth bass, northern pike | Lake trout (stocked), walleye, northern pike, smallmouth and largemouth bass |
| Municipality | Township of Lake of Bays; Town of Huntsville (southwest arm) | Muskoka Lakes; Gravenhurst (southeast corner); a small part of Bracebridge |
| Connected to | Oxtongue and Boyne rivers in; South Branch Muskoka River out at Baysville | Muskoka River in; Moon River out at Bala; Port Carling locks to Lake Rosseau |
| Water levels | MNRF-owned dam at Baysville | MNRF-owned dams at Bala, under the Muskoka River Water Management Plan |
| Known for | Deep clear water, Bigwin Island, Lake trout, Long bays | Boathouses, Steamship cruises, Islands, Port Carling locks |
| Lake page | Read the guide → | Read the guide → |
Ontario cottage lakes at a glance
Tap a column to sort. Size, depth and drive time come from each lake's guide; listings and asking prices are live (median asking counts cottages and homes, not land or resort condos).
| Lake Muskoka | Muskoka | 121 km² | 73 m | ~2 h 30 min | 95 | $1.5M | Yes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Rosseau | Muskoka | 6,390 ha | 89 m | ~2 h 30 min | 17 | $3M | Yes |
| Lake Joseph | Muskoka | 5,460 ha | 93 m | ~2 h 30 min | 13 | $4M | Yes |
| Lake of Bays | Muskoka | 6,780 ha | 70 m | ~2 h | 60 | $2.25M | Yes |
| Skeleton Lake | Muskoka | 2,075 ha | 65 m | — | 5 | $775K | Yes |
| Lake Vernon | Muskoka | 1,566 ha | 38 m | — | 6 | $3.2M | Yes |
| Fairy Lake | Muskoka | 699 ha | 69 m | — | 5 | $2.76M | Yes |
| Peninsula Lake | Muskoka | 869 ha | 34 m | — | 31 | $579K | Yes |
| Mary Lake | Muskoka | 1,061 ha | 56 m | — | 5 | $2.29M | Yes |
| Sparrow Lake | Muskoka | — | 12 m | ~1 h 30 min | 8 | $1.37M | — |
| Kahshe Lake | Muskoka | 830 ha | — | — | 9 | $1.47M | — |
| Three Mile Lake | Muskoka | — | — | — | 11 | $810K | — |
| Kashagawigamog Lake | Haliburton Highlands | 817 ha | — | ~2 h 30 min | 8 | $907K | Yes |
| Kennisis Lake | Haliburton Highlands | 1,420 ha | 95 m | — | 11 | $1.4M | Yes |
| Redstone Lake | Haliburton Highlands | — | 82 m | — | 1 | — | Yes |
| Haliburton Lake | Haliburton Highlands | 1,031 ha | — | ~3 h | 6 | $662K | Yes |
| Drag Lake | Haliburton Highlands | 1,003 ha | 55 m | — | 3 | $645K | Yes |
| Gull Lake | Haliburton Highlands | 995 ha | 49 m | — | 13 | $919K | — |
| Balsam Lake | Kawartha Lakes | 4,800 ha | 15 m | ~2 h | 18 | $1.64M | — |
| Cameron Lake | Kawartha Lakes | 1,500 ha | 18 m | ~2 h | 17 | $750K | — |
| Sturgeon Lake | Kawartha Lakes | 4,700 ha | 10.6 m | ~1 h 45 min | 23 | $849K | — |
| Pigeon Lake | Kawartha Lakes | 5,700 ha | — | ~2 h 15 min | 38 | $975K | — |
| Four Mile Lake | Kawartha Lakes | 786 ha | 19 m | ~2 h 20 min | 3 | $1.17M | — |
| Shadow Lake | Kawartha Lakes | 357 ha | 22 m | ~2 h | 5 | $1.3M | — |
| Stony Lake | Peterborough & the Kawarthas | 2,765 ha | 32 m | ~2 h | 15 | $1.74M | — |
| Clear Lake | Peterborough & the Kawarthas | — | — | ~2 h | 3 | $3.2M | — |
| Buckhorn Lake | Peterborough & the Kawarthas | — | — | — | 24 | $1.2M | — |
| Chemong Lake | Peterborough & the Kawarthas | — | — | — | 20 | $995K | — |
| Chandos Lake | Peterborough & the Kawarthas | 1,390 ha | 48 m | — | 3 | $1.5M | Yes |
| Rice Lake | Peterborough & the Kawarthas | — | 8 m | — | 44 | $699K | — |
| Georgian Bay | Georgian Bay & Simcoe County | 15,000 km² | — | — | 305 | $1.2M | — |
| Lake Simcoe | Georgian Bay & Simcoe County | 722 km² | 41 m | — | 220 | $1.4M | Yes |
| Lake Couchiching | Georgian Bay & Simcoe County | 3,375 ha | 12 m | — | 36 | $1.12M | — |
| Lake Manitouwabing | Parry Sound & Almaguin | 1,178 ha | 33.6 m | — | 15 | $948K | — |
| Horseshoe Lake | Parry Sound & Almaguin | — | — | — | 2 | $535K | — |
| Lake Bernard | Parry Sound & Almaguin | 2,090 ha | 45.7 m | — | 7 | $950K | Yes |
| Lake Eugenia | Blue Mountains & Grey County | — | — | — | 9 | $1.5M | — |
| Sharbot Lake | Land O' Lakes & Frontenac | — | — | — | 10 | $824K | Yes |
| Mazinaw Lake | Land O' Lakes & Frontenac | — | 145 m | — | 5 | $599K | Yes |
| Big Rideau Lake | Rideau Lakes & Thousand Islands | — | 110 m | ~3 h | 9 | $1.49M | Yes |
| Charleston Lake | Rideau Lakes & Thousand Islands | 2,620 ha | 91 m | — | 8 | $780K | Yes |
| Kamaniskeg Lake | Ottawa Valley & Madawaska | — | 40 m | — | 10 | $898K | — |
Drive times are approximate, from Toronto to the main town on each lake, and vary with traffic. "Lake trout" means lake trout are listed among the lake's fish in the provincial or association data we cite.
Common questions
How do I choose the right cottage lake?
Start with the drive you will make every weekend, then the kind of water you want: big, deep and busy lakes suit boaters, while smaller lakes are quieter and often warmer for swimming. After that compare shoreline, road access, how many cottages come up for sale and what they sell for. This page puts those side by side.
Why do some lakes show a dash instead of a number?
We only publish figures we can source from a fact sheet, agency or township. If a lake's depth or area has never been published reliably, we leave it blank rather than guess.
Where do the for-sale counts and asking prices come from?
They come from live MLS® listings matched to each lake and refresh through the day. Median asking price is the middle listing price on that lake right now, across every property type.
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