Soils: Sparse sandy loam
Common Tree Species: Cedar, White Birch, Oak, White Spruce, Hard Maple
Aquatic Vegetation: common cattail, common waterweed, milfoil, sweetgale, burreed, wild iris, leatherleaf
Bedrock: Sedimentary
Elevation: 241.4 m or 792 ft ±
Max. Depth: 4.3 m or 14 ft
Mean Depth: 1.4 m or 4.44 ft
Fish Species: muskellunge, white sucker, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, yellow perch, walleye
Canal Lake is the most north-western of the Kawartha Lakes. It is a man made lake, created as part of the Trent Canal system by the the construction of a dam at the west end and flooding of Grass Creek.
The lake is divided into two parts by an island and causeway for Centennial Park Road. Much of the east half is very shallow with numerous bottom features such as shoals and tree stumps. Large craft must stay in the channel marked by red and green buoys.
Small fishing boats can access much of the lake, although caution is required to avoid propeller damage. The west half of the lake is generlly deeper at about 10'. The great benefit of the many bottom features, weed beds, shoals and stumps, is the abundance and variety of fish habitat and the promise a good day of fishing. There is also a very popular spot for road side fishing at Iron Bridge at the north end of the Canal Lake Causeway.
Those interseted in gaining an understanding of the workings of the Locks, Dams and Bridges that make up the Trent System, Canal lake has it all. At the east end of the lake is the Kirkfield Hydraulic Lift Lock (second highest in the world). At the centre of the lake is Canal Lake Arch Bridge with a clearance of 28' (a national heritage site) being one of the earliest examples of the use of concrete in bridge construction). There are two swing bridges one at Bolsover Road and the other at Boundary Road. Each has a clearance of 5' allowing small craft to pass underneath. Larger craft require a swing of the bridge to allow passage. At the west end of the lake is the Bolsover Dam and Lock 37, one of the larger water-locks on the system in that it has a lift of 22 feet.
One might easily follow the passage a large lake cruiser through the locks and bridges of Canal Lake. There are many great spots for a picnic along the way.
Canal Lake Map
