Seth Drabinsky, SalespersonCV Real Estate, Brokerage

Seth DrabinskyMuskoka cottages

The lakes and towns

Every lake has its own personality.

Big lakes, small lakes, and towns with a real main street. Here's the short version of each, with the things worth checking before you buy on it.

Lakes

Lake MuskokaThe most accessible and diverse lake, with everything from modest fishing cabins to large family estates.Near Bracebridge (north), Gravenhurst (south)
Lake RosseauDeep lots, mature pines and granite shorelines, with plenty of privacy.Near Port Carling (south), Minett, Windermere
Lake JosephThe clearest, deepest water of the three major lakes.Near Port Carling, Port Sandfield
Lake of BaysMuskoka's fourth-largest lake at 68.8 km², with deep, cold water and a maze of bays. Bigwin Island sits among its island clusters.Near Huntsville (20 min west), Dorset (15 min east), Dwight (on-lake), Baysville (south shore)
Fairy LakeNamed "because of its beauty" by surveyor Alexander Murray in 1853, Fairy Lake sits at the doorstep of downtown Huntsville. You can boat from your dock and tie up at a restaurant in minutes.Near Huntsville (on-lake), Port Sydney (20 min south), Bracebridge (35 min south)
Peninsula LakeKnown locally as "Pen Lake," Peninsula Lake has wider open water than Fairy Lake, and it is colder and clearer. Deerhurst Resort, where the 2010 G8 Summit was held, is on its shore.Near Huntsville (5 min west), Dwight (20 min northeast), Baysville (25 min south)
Lake VernonThe largest of the four Huntsville chain lakes at 1,566 hectares with 43 km of shoreline. It is close enough to Huntsville to walk to a grocery store and open enough for a full day of boating.Near Huntsville (on the lake's northern arm), Port Sydney (20 min south), Bracebridge (40 min south)
Three Mile LakeThree Mile Lake is long and narrow, with 8.7 km² of surface area and over 31 km of shoreline. It sits 20 km north of Port Carling and 24 km south of Rosseau.Near Port Carling (20 min south), Rosseau (24 min north), Windermere (15 min south), Bracebridge (35 min)
Skeleton LakeSkeleton Lake's basin is the eroded remnant of a meteorite impact crater, estimated at about 800 million years old. It is nearly circular at 3.6 km across, ringed by cliffs, with 9.1 m water clarity.Near Huntsville (25 min east), Rosseau (25 min south), Parry Sound (40 min northwest)
Mary LakeNamed by surveyor Alexander Murray in 1853 after his daughter Mary Ellen, Mary Lake is the southernmost of the four connected Huntsville chain lakes. Its eight islands include Crown Island ('Place of the Great Otter' in Anishinaabe).Near Port Sydney (on south end), Huntsville (12 km north), Bracebridge (35 min south), Utterson (10 min southeast)
Kawagama LakeOne of the largest and most remote-feeling lakes in the Haliburton Highlands, with 60% of its 109 km shoreline still Crown land. Robinson's General Store in nearby Dorset was voted Canada's Best Country Store.Near Dorset (10 min), Huntsville (45 min west), Minden (45 min south), Carnarvon (20 min)
Brandy LakeBrandy Lake takes its name from the dark amber colour of its water, from tannins and humic acids leaching out of surrounding wetlands. At 116 hectares with a maximum depth of 7.5 m, it is a small community lake where the 400-member Association hosts annual flotilla parades and regattas.Near Port Carling (7 min), Bracebridge (20 min), Windermere (15 min), Gravenhurst (30 min)
Gloucester PoolThe last major lake on the Trent-Severn Waterway before it empties into Georgian Bay. Over 20 islands and a 400-family community organized around Canada Day boat parades.Near Port Severn (5 min), Honey Harbour (15 min), Coldwater (15 min), Midland (30 min), Barrie (45 min)

Towns

BracebridgeWhere cottage country meets small-town Ontario. Practical, accessible and growing.Near North end of Lake Muskoka, near smaller lakes
GravenhurstFirst stop in Muskoka: a charming downtown, the steamship hub, and a growing year-round community.Near South shore of Lake Muskoka, Gull Lake, smaller lakes
Port CarlingThe heart of Muskoka cottage country, where all three lakes converge.Near Connects Lake Muskoka, Lake Rosseau, and Lake Joseph
HuntsvilleThe outdoor recreation capital of Muskoka, close to Algonquin, skiing at Hidden Valley, and an active arts scene.Near Peninsula Lake, Fairy Lake, Lake Vernon, Lake of Bays
BalaThe only incorporated village in the Township of Muskoka Lakes, at the southern end of Lake Muskoka where Moon River passes through a series of natural falls. The Bala Cranberry Festival draws tens of thousands of visitors each October to bogs that have operated for over a century.Near Port Carling (15 min north), Gravenhurst (20 min south), Bracebridge (20 min east), Torrance (10 min)
BaysvilleSettled from 1871 when William H. Brown built the sawmill that became the village centre. Today it has the Lake of Bays Brewing Company, Cast Iron Restaurant, Miss Nelle's Antiques, Humble Pie Butter Tart Factory, and the Baysville Marina.Near Huntsville (20 min west on Hwy 117), Bracebridge (20 min south), Dorset (25 min east), Dwight (30 min northeast)
Port SydneyNamed for Sydney Smith, the largest mill owner of four mills on Mary Lake in the lumber era. Its welcome sign reads "Home of 800 nice families and 1 old grouch."Near Huntsville (12 km north, approx 10 min), Utterson (8 min east), Bracebridge (25 min south)

Talk to Seth

Not sure which lake is right? Tell Seth how you'll use it.

Weekends, the whole summer, or eventually all year. He'll point you to the lakes that fit, including the small ones that never make the magazines.

Call Seth · 705-346-2595Other ways to reach him