Karwatha Lakes
Author:
Jill Barnes French explorer Samuel de Champlain was intrigued by the beautiful lakes and rivers he found in southern Ontario in the early 1600s. He saw great potential in those waters between Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay. But there was a catch - none of these lakes was connected. Carting his canoes from one waterway to another over rocky and forested land was a nightmare. If only there were a better way.
Well, it took almost 300 years to turn Champlain's nightmare into a dream come true. Today, he would relish his travels along the 250-mile Trent-Severn Waterway, which now connects the two giant bodies of water through a series of locks and canals.
More than a century ago, the canals were booming with freight, timber and other commercial business. Now they're used almost exclusively for recreational boats of all shapes and sizes, including houseboats.
The Kawartha Lakes region about 100 miles northeast of Toronto is at the heart of the Trent-Severn Waterway. The area contains about a dozen lakes, some connected by locks, others accessible through natural channels. Three of the Kawartha's main lakes - Pigeon, Buckhorn and Chemong - can be navigated without going through a lock. In addition, Big and Little Bald lakes can be reached from northern Pigeon Lake. (There is a fee to go through the locks. See "Resources.")
The truly adventurous could sail the entire waterway through the marked channels using the 44 locks and canals between Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay. Most boaters stay within one region of the system and travel the miles of shoreline along the Kawartha Lakes.
Boaters enjoy lots of options in the Kawarthas. The Ontario tourism office or the area chambers of commerce (see "Resources") can provide information on launch sites, lakefront cabins and campgrounds, locks and marinas. If you have a bigger boat or a rented houseboat, you can anchor on the water. If you prefer this, it's best to stock up on food and other needs before setting out. Although supplies are available in towns and at some marinas, the Kawartha Lakes region is big. It could take several hours to motor to port, tie up and go shopping. But sightseeing trips to Bobcaygeon and Buckhorn are fun. If you do anchor on the lake at night, keep your anchor light on so other boaters can spot you. Staying on the water at night affords quiet, colorful sunsets and sunrises and early-morning fishing.
Many tackle shops and gatehouses at the locks have navigational maps that show the channel markers and locks. If you have a portable depth finder, bring it along; in addition to finding fish, it also will alert you to shallow water outside the markers and could save a prop.
Walleye, smallmouth bass, muskellunge and panfish inhabit these waters. An Ontario fishing license is required and can be purchased at any local tackle shop. Live bait sometimes is scarce in tackle shops, so take along a minnow trap.
About a thousand miles of shoreline and some 160 islands stand ready to explore, and most of them all offer great fishing. After getting some local fishing information, we headed to Gannon's Narrows, where Buckhorn Lake meets Pigeon Lake. We anchored the first night at the southern end of Big Island in the northern section of Pigeon Lake.
Big Island, also called Boyd Island, is dotted with sheltered coves and drop-offs from 15 to 30 feet. We fished ultralight outfits (8-pound test) and rigged 1/8- to 1/4-ounce sinkers, 18 to 24 inches above No. 1 hooks, each baited with a minnow or leech. This technique helped us land walleye in the 2- to 3-pound range and some good-size rock bass. Our kids had a ball catching sunfish and baby walleye using regular worms for bait. We kept a few walleye for a fresh fish dinner.
Chemong Lake is the biggest body of water in the Kawartha Lakes. It has many grassy and rocky stretches near the Causeway Bridge, a holding place for walleye - sometimes called pickerel in these parts - and smallmouth bass. Muskies also are known to hang out here. They require a heavier tackle, though, so we didn't have any luck catching them.
Averaging about 10 feet, Buckhorn Lake isn't as deep as the others and is choked with weeds. Fishing is a little tougher. Use a bobber.
Going through the locks is an interesting experience. It's a strange sensation to feel the entire boat being raised or lowered until it reaches the proper water level to move on. It's a good idea to have two or three able bodies on board while going through the locks - two to work the lines and a pilot ready to roll when the lock gates open. The lines are looped around a hose-type rod so they move up and down with the boat. The entire boat moves during the water-level change, and if you tie up the boat incorrectly you'll find yourself with broken rails or worse. The lock wardens will help if needed.
Lock No. 32, the oldest on the Trent-Severn Waterway, is in Bobcaygeon. Completed in 1835, Bobcaygeon was once a logging town like many villages along the Trent-Severn. Now instead of logs, hundreds of vessels from houseboats to dinghies travel through this lock during summer months.
Bobcaygeon offers galleries, a beach area, shops and restaurants.
Buckhorn, another lake town in the Kawartha region - so-called because of the many deer antlers displayed around town - once was noted for its grist mill. Some of the original grinding stones are on display at Buckhorn Park, where geraniums bloom during summer months.
Between Buckhorn and Chemong lakes is Curve Lake Indian Reserve, reachable by boat. Some 800 Curve Lake Indians live on the reserve and keep alive the Ojibwa language and culture. They hold a regatta in August and a pow-wow and talent show Labor Day weekend.
Other towns of interest include Ennismore, located on Chemong, Kawartha's biggest lake. A Shamrock Festival, a type of sports fair, is held each August. Burleigh Falls features Petroglyphs Provincial Park, where images were carved by Algonquin Indians nearly 1,000 years ago. Peterborough is the site of the world's highest hydraulic lift lock, which can raise or lower boats 65 feet.
Just cruise on over and see it all. - Jill Barnes
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