Why Rent On Stoney Lake

Stoney Lake forms the eastern anchor of the Kawartha Lakes region in Peterborough County, sitting roughly two hours northeast of Toronto at 234 metres above sea level. Its 28-square-kilometre surface is dotted with over 1,000 islands, creating a labyrinthine waterway that rewards families who approach the lake as a landscape to explore rather than simply a body of water to swim in. The surrounding communities of Douro-Dummer, North Kawartha, and Selwyn reflect the geological boundary between the rugged Canadian Shield to the north and the gentler Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands to the south, giving the lake’s setting an unusual topographic variety that makes every day on the water feel visually different.

Bass, Walleye, Muskie, and a Thousand Coves

Smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, and muskellunge all inhabit Stoney Lake’s waters, with access points at Crowes Landing and several other marinas serving the lake’s active boating and fishing community. Kayaking, canoeing, and sailing are natural activities on a lake shaped by over a thousand islands, and the sheltered passages between those islands provide calm paddling corridors even when the main lake surface is choppy. In winter, the Canadian Shield granite and the snow-covered islands create a landscape of extraordinary photographic beauty, and ice fishing, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing bring the lake community back to life through the coldest months.

Why an Island-Edged Lake Calls for a Private Rental

Staying in a lakehouse or waterfront cottage on Stoney Lake gives your family something that a Peterborough hotel cannot begin to approximate: waking up on a lake with a thousand islands visible from the breakfast table and a private dock pointing toward them all. Properties on Stoney Lake range from classic three-bedroom Kawartha cottages with boat docks, fire pits, and screened porches to larger lakehouses with hot tubs and open water views that frame a different island configuration at every hour of the day. Full kitchens make self-sufficient lake living comfortable, and the variety of the lake’s geography means that a week here rarely feels repetitive. Pet-friendly rentals are available along the lakeshore.

What To Know

Stoney Lake’s thousand islands and complex shoreline mean that some properties are accessed by water only, with no road to the door. If driving directly to your rental cottage is important to your group, confirm land access before booking. Water-access-only properties are genuinely special experiences, particularly for families with older children and teenagers, but they require a boat transfer and a degree of logistical planning that not every family wants to manage on arrival day.

Stoney Lake is the Kawartha destination that gives you the most water to work with. The island maze, the multi-species fishery, the geological character of the Shield-to-Lowlands boundary, and the proximity to Peterborough all contribute to a lake-stay experience that feels bigger and richer than its surface area suggests. We think it belongs near the top of every Ontario lake family’s shortlist.