Shadow Lake vs Balsam Lake
Put any Ontario cottage lakes side by side: size, depth, drive time, fish, cottages for sale and asking prices.
| Feature | Shadow Lake | Balsam Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Kawartha Lakes | Kawartha Lakes |
| Towns | Norland, Coboconk | Coboconk, Kirkfield, Fenelon Falls |
| For sale now | 7 | 24 |
| Median asking | $820K (cottages and homes: $1.3M) | $1.37M (cottages and homes: $1.6M) |
| Sold, past year | 9 | 22 |
| Surface area | About 357 hectares (882 acres) | About 48 km², fourth largest of the 13 named Kawartha Lakes |
| Maximum depth | Maximum about 22 m | Average about 4.8 m; maximum about 15 m |
| Drive from Toronto | About 2 hours to Coboconk (about 151 km), then north | About 2 hours to Coboconk (about 151 km) |
| Fish | Smallmouth bass, walleye, muskellunge | Walleye, muskellunge, smallmouth and largemouth bass, lake herring |
| Municipality | City of Kawartha Lakes | City of Kawartha Lakes |
| Connected to | Gull River: Norland upstream; Silver Lake and Coboconk downstream | Gull River (north); Rosedale to Cameron Lake; Kirkfield to Lake Simcoe |
| Water levels | Parks Canada dams on the Gull River | Parks Canada (Trent-Severn Waterway dams and locks) |
| Known for | Gull River boating, Deeper water, Quieter than the big lakes | Summit of the Trent-Severn, Big open water, Provincial parks, Bass, walleye and muskie |
| 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 | 116 | $1.55M | Yes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Rosseau | Muskoka | 6,390 ha | 89 m | ~2 h 30 min | 24 | $3M | Yes |
| Lake Joseph | Muskoka | 5,460 ha | 93 m | ~2 h 30 min | 25 | $4M | Yes |
| Lake of Bays | Muskoka | 6,780 ha | 70 m | ~2 h | 67 | $2.26M | Yes |
| Skeleton Lake | Muskoka | 2,075 ha | 65 m | — | 6 | $995K | Yes |
| Lake Vernon | Muskoka | 1,566 ha | 38 m | — | 10 | $2.9M | Yes |
| Fairy Lake | Muskoka | 699 ha | 69 m | — | 6 | $3.2M | Yes |
| Peninsula Lake | Muskoka | 869 ha | 34 m | — | 35 | $974K | Yes |
| Mary Lake | Muskoka | 1,061 ha | 56 m | — | 8 | $2.29M | Yes |
| Sparrow Lake | Muskoka | — | 12 m | ~1 h 30 min | 7 | $1.45M | — |
| Kahshe Lake | Muskoka | 830 ha | — | — | 12 | $1.09M | — |
| Three Mile Lake | Muskoka | — | — | — | 14 | $849K | — |
| Kashagawigamog Lake | Haliburton Highlands | 817 ha | — | ~2 h 30 min | 8 | $907K | Yes |
| Kennisis Lake | Haliburton Highlands | 1,420 ha | 95 m | — | 13 | $924K | Yes |
| Redstone Lake | Haliburton Highlands | — | 82 m | — | 4 | $3.79M | Yes |
| Haliburton Lake | Haliburton Highlands | 1,031 ha | — | ~3 h | 6 | $662K | Yes |
| Drag Lake | Haliburton Highlands | 1,003 ha | 55 m | — | 5 | $650K | Yes |
| Gull Lake | Haliburton Highlands | 995 ha | 49 m | — | 14 | $919K | — |
| Balsam Lake | Kawartha Lakes | 4,800 ha | 15 m | ~2 h | 24 | $1.6M | — |
| 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 | 24 | $1.05M | — |
| Pigeon Lake | Kawartha Lakes | 5,700 ha | — | ~2 h 15 min | 44 | $998K | — |
| 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 | 7 | $1.3M | — |
| Stony Lake | Peterborough & the Kawarthas | 2,765 ha | 32 m | ~2 h | 22 | $1.3M | — |
| Clear Lake | Peterborough & the Kawarthas | — | — | ~2 h | 6 | $2.65M | — |
| Buckhorn Lake | Peterborough & the Kawarthas | — | — | — | 26 | $1.16M | — |
| Chemong Lake | Peterborough & the Kawarthas | — | — | — | 23 | $1.07M | — |
| Chandos Lake | Peterborough & the Kawarthas | 1,390 ha | 48 m | — | 10 | $999K | Yes |
| Rice Lake | Peterborough & the Kawarthas | — | 8 m | — | 59 | $699K | — |
| Georgian Bay | Georgian Bay & Simcoe County | 15,000 km² | — | — | 351 | $1.15M | — |
| Lake Simcoe | Georgian Bay & Simcoe County | 722 km² | 41 m | — | 242 | $1.45M | Yes |
| Lake Couchiching | Georgian Bay & Simcoe County | 3,375 ha | 12 m | — | 43 | $1.2M | — |
| Lake Manitouwabing | Parry Sound & Almaguin | 1,178 ha | 33.6 m | — | 19 | $972K | — |
| Horseshoe Lake | Parry Sound & Almaguin | — | — | — | 5 | $620K | — |
| Lake Bernard | Parry Sound & Almaguin | 2,090 ha | 45.7 m | — | 9 | $949K | Yes |
| Lake Eugenia | Blue Mountains & Grey County | — | — | — | 9 | $1.5M | — |
| Sharbot Lake | Land O' Lakes & Frontenac | — | — | — | 13 | $749K | Yes |
| Mazinaw Lake | Land O' Lakes & Frontenac | — | 145 m | — | 9 | $405K | Yes |
| Big Rideau Lake | Rideau Lakes & Thousand Islands | — | 110 m | ~3 h | 10 | $1.4M | Yes |
| Charleston Lake | Rideau Lakes & Thousand Islands | 2,620 ha | 91 m | — | 6 | $680K | Yes |
| Kamaniskeg Lake | Ottawa Valley & Madawaska | — | 40 m | — | 11 | $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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