Cottages For Sale on Redstone Lake

Owning a cottage on Redstone Lake

Redstone is classic deep Shield trout water. It drops to about 82 m, stays cold all summer and holds lake trout, a fishery found in only about one per cent of Ontario lakes. It is a broad lake, up to about 6.5 km long and almost 5 km across, broken up by many small bays and inlets. That shape gives owners a choice: open water with long views and more wind, or a tucked-in bay that stays calm when the main lake is whitecapping.

It also feels farther from the world than its location suggests. The lake is not on a main highway, and the drive to West Guilford takes about 20 minutes, with Haliburton village roughly half an hour away. There is even a water aerodrome at the northwest end, so float planes are part of the summer soundtrack. Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve and Sir Sam's ski hill are both within reach for days off the water.

Redstone is the hub of a cluster of seven connected lakes, including Little Redstone, Pelaw, Bitter, Long, Burdock and Coleman. One association looks after all of them, and its volunteers have been sampling water quality for close to 30 years. Buyers get a well-organized lake community with a long memory, and an association that has been around since 1961 and works with the township, the province and Ontario Parks.

• Open water
• Reservoir lake
• Quiet northern setting

History of Redstone Lake

Redstone sits on the Redstone River, which starts at Upper Redstone Lake inside Algonquin Park and runs down through Pelaw and Little Redstone before leaving by two outlets. Road access came late. In the 1930s the Canadian Land and Emigration Company arranged a road from Haliburton village toward Eagle Lake and Redstone, and in 1941 a road from Redstone Lake through to Fort Irwin on Haliburton Lake was finished.

Cottagers organized early. The Redstone Lake Cottagers Association received its letters patent on August 16, 1961, and still meets every July. At the 2026 annual meeting members voted to rename it the Redstone Area Lakes Association to reflect all seven lakes it serves. Redstone also plays a role in the county's fishing story: volunteers from the local hatchery collect eggs from spawning lake trout here to raise the Haliburton Gold strain for stocking.

Deep, cold lake trout water

The trout live in the deep, cold, well-oxygenated middle of the lake, while smallmouth bass and panfish work the shallower edges. Lake trout season in Zone 15 generally runs from the third Saturday in May to September 30, and many trout lakes have their own extra rules, so check the current regulations before you go out. Trout spawn on rocky shoals in fall, and the association asks owners and boaters to leave those shoals alone in October and November.

Redstone is one of the lakes where hatchery volunteers collect eggs from the Haliburton Gold trout, a local strain named for the colour of its eggs that matures earlier than northern trout. The association donates to that hatchery every year and runs a lead tackle exchange to protect loons.

A reservoir high in the Gull River system

Both outlets are controlled by dams. The East Redstone River runs southeast toward Eagle Lake, and the Redstone River runs southwest toward Green Lake. Both end up in the Gull River, which feeds the Trent-Severn Waterway at its summit at Balsam Lake. That makes Redstone and its upstream lakes an important flow reservoir, and water levels move through the year as a result. The association posts live water levels on its website.

Seven lakes, one association

The association covers Redstone, Little Redstone, Pelaw, Bitter, Long (also called Tedious), Burdock and Coleman lakes. Volunteers have tracked phosphorus, clarity and calcium for close to three decades. Programs include hazard buoys, shoreline naturalization, septic education and a lead-free tackle exchange. Membership starts at $30 a year, and new owners are encouraged to join; it is the easiest way to learn where the shoals and buoys are.

Launches, float planes and getting to town

Public boat launches are at 1201 Klondike Road, which has an asphalt and cement ramp, and at 1246 Redstone Lake Road, which is gravel. Both carry Eagle Lake addresses. The West Guilford/Redstone Lake Water Aerodrome at the northwest end serves float planes. For groceries and everyday errands, West Guilford is about 20 minutes away and Haliburton village about 30. The nearest emergency department is at the Haliburton hospital site.