Powerboating on Ontario’s Lake Temiskaming + Video

While the Great Lakes found in Ontario and northern United States are known as some of the finest freshwater cruising grounds anywhere, if you head north you’ll find  a hidden gem that shares a border with Ontario and Quebec – Lake Temiskaming. This lake is not nearly as busy as the Great Lakes, but it still boasts great marinas, full service accommodations and great dining experiences.

If you are leaving from the Toronto area, it should only take about three hours to get to Lake Temiskaming and the time spent driving is more than made up for by time and stress saved from not having to deal with crowds.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

At more than 60 miles long, Lake Temiskaming is quite large. It is also boasts depths of about 700 feet in some places, so no boat is too big.

Another cool feature is that about 90% of the shoreline lies on Crown Land, which means if you see something interesting, you can get out and explore most anywhere. Be sure to check out Devil’s Rock, which is a cliff that juts out of the lake more than 300 vertical feet. You can see Devil’s Rock in the photo at the top of this story.

To find your way around the lake, maps are available from Canadian Hydrographic Services. You also can chat up employees at any of the five marinas on the lake for an array of useful information: Temiskaming Shores (New Liskeard), Temiskaming Shores (Haileybury), Notre-Dame-du-Nord, Ville-Marie and Témiscaming.

Because Lake Temiskaming is bordered by both Ontario and Quebec, along with First Nations lands, the area is rich with culture and language; both French and English are spoken pretty much everywhere.

If you bring your golf clubs along, two courses are found a short distance from the shore. While you are swinging clubs, your kids can check out the Hailebury beach and waterslide. Good shopping is available in Temiskaming Shores. You won’t have to travel far for food, as good restaurants can be found near all five marinas.

To really get the most out of your Lake Temiskaming experience, staying a couple of nights is a good idea. Consider the President’s Suites in Haileybury, the Waterfront Inn in New Liskeard, La Bannik in Duhamel Ouest, and the Eugène Auberge and Bistro in Ville-Marie.