Paudash Lake
| Paudash Lake | |
|---|---|
| Location | Haliburton County, Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 44°57’00.38” N 78°00’41.62” W |
| Surface area | 755 hectares (1866 acres) |
| Max. depth | 46 meters (151 feet) surface elevation = 350 meters (1148 feet) |
| Islands | Mullet, Johnston, Ross, Moulds, Burnt, Stringer, and Big. |
Paudash Lake is a freshwater lake in south central Ontario about 20 minutes south of Bancroft down Hy. 28. Paudash Lake is located in the Municipality of Highlands East in Haliburton County and begins 1.6 km. (one mile) north of Silent Lake Provincial Park and is 27 km. (16.8 miles) south of the panhandle of one of North America's largest and most beautiful parks, Algonquin Provincial Park (7630 sq. km., or 2946 sq. miles). It is about two and a quarter hours' drive northeast from Canada's largest city, Toronto and three and a half hours' drive southwest from the nation's capital, Ottawa. The nearest communities to Paudash Lake are the town of Cardiff, close to the lake's Inlet Bay, and the hamlet of Paudash to the northeast of Lower Paudash Lake, where the lake creates the Crowe River.The nearest shopping center in the area is the year-around resort town of Bancroft.
Paudash Lake has several different sections within it; Lower Paudash Lake (Outlet Bay) to the east, North Bay to the north, Joe Bay to the southwest and Inlet Bay to the northeast. Paudash Lake has a surface area of about 755 hectares (1866 acres) and a maximum depth of about 46 meteres (151 feet). Fish species include Large and Small Mouth Bass, Walleye, Lake Trout, and Perch as well as small bait fish of various types.
Paudash Lake is part of what is acknowledged to be the finest lake country on Earth, that of southern Ontario. The area contains over 10,000 pristine lakes which were formed by glaciers some 11,000 years ago during the last Ice Age. In the very heart of the Ontario lake country are the two areas known simply as “Muskoka” and “Haliburton” (which are both actually counties of Ontario). Muskoka and Haliburton are among the greatest summer resort areas of the world and have attracted many of the wealthiest families in the Northeastern U.S. and Ontario for over 100 years. To most people in Ontario, the area is simply part of what is known as “cottage country”, in reference to the some 250,000 summer cottages on the lakes of southern Ontario.
Paudash Lake is a typical Haliburton or Muskoka type of lake, with beautiful large bays and islands. North Bay is particularly spectacular, with massive, granitic, partially tree-covered cliffs rising hundreds of feet out of the lake along the shoreline. Except in the cliff areas, all of the shore is lined with trees and heavy foliage and, thanks to a far sighted County Council, all of the cottages built during the last fifty years are set back at least 60 feet from the shoreline, thereby avoiding the clutter of buildings along the shoreline (the further building of boathouses was outlawed during the 1930’s, although a few old ones still exist). The water is entirely unpolluted and typically reaches 80 to 82 degrees within six feet of the surface in the summer, which is ideal for swimming and water sports. Summer daytime temperatures are typically in the mid eighties, but certainly do climb into the nineties, to a maximum of about 100 degrees in July. Naturally, wild life is very abundant, including black bears, and every bay has its Loon family every summer, who light up the night with their famous and amazing calls from out in the lake. Even tropical birds come north for the summer, including magnificent Great Blue Herons and Hummingbirds of all varieties.
Paudash Lake was named after Chief George Paudash of the Chippewa Indians. The immediate area was first settled by pioneer families in the early 1870’s. While the first summer cottage was built on Big Island by the Johnson family of Bancroft in the early 1920’s, there was very little development on the lake, and indeed in Haliburton as a whole, until the late 1930’s, when the two great access highways from the south were constructed. Highway 28 in the east, and Highway 35 in the west, with Highway 118 later connecting the two. The War then delayed development on the lakes, and finally in the late 1940’s, major development got under way (from the 1880’s to the 1940’s there were, of course, commercial resorts in Muskoka and Haliburton that were accessable by railroad and boat, with local transport over dirt roads by horse and buggy and later, cars and buses).
Major cottage development on Paudash Lake got underway in the 1950’s and continued through the 1960’s. Today, the lake is not over developed, but fully developed and virtually all new construction involves the removal of 50 or 60 year old cottages and their replacement by modern cottages, usually designed by expert architects familiar with Muskoka and Haliburton. Fifteen percent of the shoreline is permanent Crown land. Most of the finest new construction is built, both inside and outside, of totally natural materials of wood and stone. During any given month, there are usually at least a few properties for sale on the lake and some rentals are available in the summer. As is the case with virtually all of the lake communities in Haliburton, Paudash is a very, very friendly place.
Summer Recreation
During the summer Paudash Lake is a popular destination for cottagers and tourists. North Bay features a beautiful, absolutely free public sand-bottom beach with rest rooms that can be accessed by car off of Hy. 118 (via North Bay Beach Road) and by boat. There is also an annual regatta that takes place on the beach. Fishing on the lake is very popular, with numerous species of fish available in the lake. As noted in the foregoing section, the summer in Muskoka and Haliburton is virtually a paradise on Earth!
Winter Recreation
Paudash Lake, like similar freshwater lakes in Ontario, freezes over during the winter months. During this time the lake is often traversed by snowmobilers. Ice fishing is also common, with ice fishing hut rentals available in the area. Nearby Silent Lake Provincial Park offers over 40 km. (25 miles) of some of the most spectacular, fully groomed, cross-country ski trails in Canada, featuring natural, wood-fired warming huts along the trails and fantastic views from the trails on the hills that surround the lake. Members of the great Canadian National Cross Country Ski Team have stated that the Silent Lake Trails were not the toughest they have ever trained on, but were certainly the most beautiful.
The Paudash Trail Blazers Snowmobile Club is one of the best known snowmobile clubs in Ontario, with well-groomed trails maintained throughout the region during the winter months. The Central Region of Ontario contains over 5500 km. (3410 miles) of completely interconnected, groomed snowmobile trails which, in turn, are interconnected to the incredible Ontario system of 43,000 km. (26,000 miles) of maintained snowmobile trails. During the last 20 years, the Ontario Provincial Government and the huge Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs has spent some 400 million dollars on the development of the largest snowmobile trail system in the world! One could spend a lifetime of winters, and never see it all! A single annual license, or brief period license, available from the Pauash Trail Blazers Snowmobile Club, will give you complete access to the entire system. It includes some of the most intense wilderness areas on Earth, but it is regularly patrolled by the Snowmobile Clubs and the Ontario Provincial Police. A winter experience without equal in the world, and a lot safer than going down a mountain on one or two plastic slats! Naturally, snowmobile rentals are avaiable everywhere in the region.
Marinas
- The Anchorage Resort is situated on McGillivray Road on Paudash Lake. The Anchorage Resort offers five cottages available for rent. Each unit has its own kitchen, washroom and double beds in each bedroom. All cottages are located close to the lake. The Anchorage also offers seasonal RV sites that are tiered to the landscape with flat and grassy areas. Water, hydro, and sewer services are available. The resort offers marine services including boat slips rental, small repairs, boat storage and boat launching. Equipment such as boats and motors, canoes, and paddleboats are also available for rent. The Anchorage Resort offers heated ice hut rentals and overnight accommodations through the winter months for ice fishing adventures.
- The Paudash Lake Marina is located on Lower Paudash Lake on McGillivray Road. Offers boat rentals (with lifejackets), dockage, a boat launch, gasoline and propane, plus tube, ski and kneeboard rentals. They are also an Arctic Cat snowmobile dealer. The Paudash Lake Marina has a general store offering video rentals and an arcade, plus hot Belgian waffle desserts and frozen yogurt with fresh fruit. The store also features a candy rack with 80 feet of shelving.
- Wil-Lou Marine & Sports is located in the community of Paudash on Highway 28. Wil-Lou Marine offers dockage, a boat launch, gasoline and propane, winter boat storage, service for outboard motors, and boat and motor sales.
External links
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