Balsam Lake (Ontario)

Balsam Lake
The Kawartha lakes with Balsam Lake (marked 'C')
Location	Kawartha Lakes, Ontario
Group	Kawartha Lakes
Coordinates	44°35′N 78°50′W / 44.583°N 78.833°WCoordinates: 44°35′N 78°50′W / 44.583°N 78.833°W
Primary inflows	Gull River
Primary outflows	Balsam River, Trent Canal
Basin countries	Canada
Max. length	16 km (9.9 mi)
Max. width	3 km (1.9 mi)
Max. depth	15.24 m (50.0 ft)
Surface elevation	256.3 meters (841 ft)
Islands	Grand Island, Hogg Island, Ball Island, Delamere Island, Ant Island, Cherry Island
Settlements	Coboconk

A map of the city of Kawartha Lakes with Balsam Lake highlighted

Balsam Lake is a lake located in the Kawartha Lakes region of south central Ontario, Canada. It is 16 km long and averages 3 km wide, though its actual width varies due to the many large bays the carve its shoreline. The Gull River empties into the lake.

The lake is the highest point of the Trent-Severn Waterway; from here, the waterway descends to Georgian Bay in the northwest, and to Lake Ontario in the southeast.^[1]

The village of Coboconk, Ontario is located on the north side of the lake. Balsam Lake Provincial Park is also located on the lake.^[2]

The lake offers excellent fishing for bass, walleye, and muskie. Mackenzie Bay in West Bay is a popular spot for boats to congregate on a warm summer day.^[3]

References

1. Angus, James T. (1999). A Respectable Ditch: A History of the Trent-Severn Waterway, 1833–1920. McGill-Queen's Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-7735-1821-6. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
2. "Ontario Parks - Balsam Lake". Retrieved 2009-08-07.
3. "Fishing Facts for Balsam Lake". Retrieved 2012-10-19.