Our Five Favourite Lakes in the Parry Sound Area
📣 Lake lovers, we’re kicking off our series with the largest lake in the Parry Sound District, the gorgeous Lake Wahwashkesh!
Sprawled over a surface area of 1,721 hectares (4,253 acres) with more than 106 km of shoreline, Lake Wahwashkesh is truly a sight to behold. Not just that, around 30% of this shoreline property is Crown Land, preserving the natural beauty of the lake for everyone to enjoy.
Lake Wahwashkesh has two distinct basins – the North Basin, or ‘Top Lake,’ and the South Basin or ‘Big Lake.’ The lake is a part of the Magnetawan River system and is renowned for its extremely severe spring freshet, with lake levels often rising 3 to 4 meters above the concrete weir at the river’s outlet.
But that’s not all! For all you fishing enthusiasts, Lake Wahwashkesh is a paradise with over 12 species of sport fish, including Northern Pike, Walleye, Smallmouth, and Largemouth Bass. The lake is famous for its Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora and ranks in the top five lakes in Ontario for such flora. This unique lake aspect was extensively documented in a 1989 study by the Natural Heritage League and the World Wildlife Fund.
Fun fact: “Wahwashkesh” comes from Ojibwa wâwâshkeshi, which means ‘deer.’
Lake Wahwashkesh also houses a not-for-profit association of cottagers and residents, the Lake Wah-Wash-Kesh Conservation Association, established in 1954. In partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources, they installed a new water level monitoring station in Bennett’s Bay in May 2009. This station provides real-time daily data on the lake’s water level, water temperature, air temperature, and rainfall amount.
Stay tuned as we journey through the rest of our favourite lakes in the Parry Sound Area!