2010
Lake Muskoka Dreariness
Lake Muskoka on a dark and dreary November day. Please click on the photo for a larger image
2008
Huckleberry Rock Trail overlooking Lake Muskoka
Huckleberry Rock is one of the most scenic views in all of Muskoka. You can find the trail just off the road that takes you to Milford Bay. These rocks are some of the oldest rocks in the world, well over a billion years old. I will return in late autumn to catch some of the vivid colors.
“Mama always told me not to look into the eyes of the sun. But, Mama, that’s where the fun is.
“Blinded by the light” — Bruce Springsteen.
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water
2008
Bala Falls is working overtime – off loading the water from Lake Muskoka
Muskoka’s Bala Falls is located in the town of Bala, Canada and widely known as the Cranberry Capital of Ontario. The extremely high water on Lake Muskoka is being purged through the dam. The water flows down the Moon River into one of the Great Lakes, Georgian Bay (Lake Huron)
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, tripin around towns, uncategorized
2021
Low Water levels – No Floods!
Us property owners on the Muskoka Lakes have been somewhat consumed with water levels these past few years. We have had floods on the Big 3 Lakes in 2013, 2017 and 2019. Lake Muskoka has taken most of the damage from these floods. I have documented some of it and you can see it here. This year the water levels appear to be quite low. I’m told by our trusty Mayor Phil Harding that we are at about the same levels as last year. I have no reason to doubt his word as I wasn’t visiting in April last year however when I arrived in early May the water levels were great. The big lakes are now open with all of the ice off them and the spring runoff has tapered off. This week the forecast is calling for lots of rain. It will definitely bring the lake levels up a bit.
In: boathouses of muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water
2020
Sailboat Houses
There are certainly some unique and interesting boathouses located on the Muskoka Lakes. These four boathouses are designed for sailboats and are found on Lake Rosseau in various locations. There may be others on Lake Muskoka and Joseph but these are the ones I have discovered running around by myself.
Located near the old Eatons property near Windermere on Lake Rosseau
Located on Ouno Island Lake Rosseau in Muskoka
Located at the top end of Lake Rosseau not far from the lighthouse
In: boathouses of muskoka, historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water
2019
The Peerless II
Ahoy Captain Randy Potts.! I was out on Lake Rosseau recently and crossed paths with the Peerless II boat. Always a pleasure to see her on the beautiful Muskoka waters. The Peerless II ship was built in 1946 in Bronte, Ontario and operated for over 50 years as a gas and oil delivery vessel on the Musk0ka Lakes. Captain Randy purchased the boat in 2003 restoring it and turning it into a popular tourist experience that leaves from the locks in Port Carling. I highly recommend this intimate tour with interesting historical commentary by Captain Randy. They do a tour of Millionaires Row on Lake Muskoka, Lake Rosseau and private tours for weddings or other social occasions.
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water
2019
Catastrophic Flooding Hits Muskoka
As you are probably aware by now Muskoka and other parts of Ontario are experiencing catastrophic flooding. It is not unusual to experience high water in Muskoka during the spring freshet however it is not normal to experience such serious flooding as we are getting now. The first large flood was in 2013 and I documented it on this Blog. There was another in 2017 and now an even bigger and likely more damaging flood happening right now.
Below are some of the photos of this disastrous 2019 flood mostly taken on Lake Muskoka. The brunt of the damage is on Lake Muskoka as both branches of the Muskoka River flow into it as well as water from Lakes Joseph and Rosseau. The Ministry follows a guideline set out by the Muskoka River Water Management Plan and draws down the lakes through the dam located in Bala, Ontario which exits into the Moon River and down to Georgian Bay. The draw down is supposed to prevent this kind of flooding. It appears everything was done according to plan however we still received disastrous results. There was a record amount of snow this winter combined with lots of rain during the run-off. It is difficult to say whether anything else could have been done to mitigate the damage resulting from these floods.
Photo disclaimer:
Please note that none of these photos belong to me. They have been gathered from various social media posts mainly Muskoka 411 News and RS Muskoka. I always like to acknowledge the original source of photos however it has been difficult to track everyone down due to the influx of photos posted. If I have posted your photo please let me know and I will gladly credit you and thank you for sharing.
In: boathouses of muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
2017
The Spring Melt
I visited Muskoka yesterday for the first time since the fall season which explains my Blog inactivity. I spent the winter months in the warm climes of the Hawaiian Islands. It was blissful!
I was in Bala yesterday checking out the falls (and the construction) and there is significant water flowing out of Lake Muskoka into the Moon River to Georgian Bay. The ice should be off the lakes by the end of this week. Water levels are down to summer levels on the lakes at present and will rise over the next 10 days. Hopefully no flooding this year.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, tripin around towns
2016
High Water Levels in Muskoka
I’ve been visiting Muskoka recently dealing with the high water problems that many of us are suffering through. This is the second time in the past few years this has happened with the first being in 2013. I made a 2 min video showing the extreme volumes of water flowing from the Bracebridge Falls into Lake Muskoka and then out through the Bala Falls into the Moon River. There are some photos of the damage this high water has caused at the end of the video.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, tripin around towns
2015
The Muskoka Water Cab
A friend asked if I would accompany him to look at some island properties that are for sale on Lake Muskoka. We hired this cool Muskoka Water Taxi to take us around in the freezing temperatures. He had a nice little setup with a propane heater inside to keep us warm & toasty. Apparently he does ample business in the warm season dropping and picking up people on the many islands on Lake Muskoka. He will even bring you pizza.
2013
Whats SUP?
Have you tried to SUP – Stand Up Paddleboarding? I haven’t, but I think I may be good at it. Taken at the Touchstone Resort on Lake Muskoka in the early morning.
2013
A Very Full Moon
You can get a clear sense of how high the water levels are on the Moon River from this photo looking out towards the Bala Falls. Apparently water levels are on the way down on Lake Muskoka followed by Lake Rosseau and Joseph. Check out the handy little graph below with the water levels plotted over the past year.
This is a graph of the water levels on the Moon River from May 01, 2012 to May 01, 2013. Note the huge increase this year compared to last year. You can create your own graph and analyze the data by clicking here. For additional resources on the Muskoka River water management including the operating procedures for maintaining water levels, click here
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, tripin around towns
2013
Come Hell or High Water
Here are a few phone camera pics of the high water levels around Muskoka. The first photo is from my friend Cheryl who received it from her friend Lynn. It is taken down stream on the Moon River in Bala where reports of the water levels have hit up to 9 feet high. Check out the boat port roof in the photo – insane!
The other two photos were taken in Bracebridge recently where the water is so powerful it cascades over-top of the damn. Lake Muskoka docks and boathouses are flooded out as well as Lake Joe and Lake Rosseau. Some of the smaller lakes have had high water levels but seem to be recovering faster than the big lakes.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, tripin around towns
2013
Welcome to Sled City
During the Gravenhurst winter carnival it seemed like all the commotion was happening a bit to the north at Muskoka Bay Park. I ventured out onto the ice where hundreds of snowmobilers were involved in the high speed radar runs.
Please click on the photo for a larger shot.
2012
The Last Boat Standing
The sun was dropping rapidly as we approached Gravenhurst after spending 12 hours on-board the Segwun steamship during The 100 Mile Cruise. Hundreds of beautiful heritage boats followed us on our journey this day and now at the duration there was one last boat tracking us on the final journey. It was the Edith II a 26 ft. Fay & Bowden circa 1905, recently brought back to life by Dukes in Port Carling. As the Edith II ran up beside us I was surprised to see my friend and infamous Muskoka photographer Bev McMullen shooting us as we waved frantically. Well, what to do but grab the camera and shoot back.
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water
2012
The Boys and Girls of Summer
I don’t know about you but I’m not ready to let go of summer just yet. Has it not been one of the best summers in years? Labor day always seems like an official marker that summer is complete. Personally I like to stretch it out to Thanksgiving weekend if I can. I noticed these kids having a blast on Lake Muskoka recently. Enjoy the summer weather this labor day long weekend.
2012
Tracking Cloudburst
Taking a drive around what I call the far side of Lake Rosseau and Lake Muskoka on Hwy #141 is always an interesting trip. These tracks are near Falkenburg Station now a ghost town located just outside of Bracebridge on Manitoba Street. Its great that Google has a lot of these Muskoka roads mapped out.
2012
North Branch of the Muskoka River
This is the north branch of the Muskoka River flowing out of Mary Lake in quaint Port Sydney, Ontario. The river meanders towards Bracebridge into Lake Muskoka and out to the Moon River and down to Georgian Bay. There are 5 dams on this system with power generated at High Falls, Wilson Falls and the Bracebridge Falls.
The Muskoka River Watershed is the largest watershed in the Muskoka district covering an area of 466,000 hectares. The watershed communities are: Dwight, Dorset, Baysville, Huntsville, Port Sydney, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Bala, Port Carling and MacTier
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, tripin around towns
2012
125th Anniversary Flyby
In celebration of the Segwun Steamship’s 125th anniversary the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Snowbirds performed a flyby at the wharf in Gravenhurst on Friday June 29th, 2012. I found a cool 35 second video on Youtube below.
Note: the Segwun and Wenonah II along with a flotilla of over 100 antique and classic boats will be recreating the original 100 mile tour on the Muskoka Lakes Saturday August 18th, 2012. Apparently the last time this journey was made was in 1958 so there is plenty of interest in this years 125th anniversary celebration. The Segwun steamship is listed as sold out however you may be able to get on the Wenonah II. Details here.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, tripin around towns
2012
In Search of the Grouch in Port Sydney
I was in Port Sydney recently, the town with the cool welcoming sign that says “Home of 800 families & 1 old grouch.” Politician Tony Clement kicks back here except when hes not doubling as Superman and rescuing people from drowning in the Muskoka river. The quiet little town is situated on the shores of Mary Lake where the North Muskoka River flows through. Like a lot of small towns in the Muskoka region, Mary Lake was known for its lumber industry bringing many settlers into the area around the 1860’s. At its peak there were over 25 lodges and Inns located in this area with quite an interesting history. I took this photo at the south end while standing on the town dock looking out to the lake.
- Mary Lake Port Sydney, Ontario
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, tripin around towns
