Up and Comers: Lakes to watch for building a home in Ontario

Referred to the “mineral capital of Canada”, Bancroft is growing at a moderate pace, making it an up and coming region, but not yet overpopulated. Not just a mecca for rock lovers and geologists, Bancroft is expanding its culinary scene with quaint restaurants and a new brewpub. The town is also providing entrepreneurial opportunities for international communities, according to CanIndia, a Canadian publication.

Baptiste Lake

About 15 minutes northwest of the resort town of Bancroft, Baptiste Lake is full of trails for hiking and ATVing, and boating and fishing opportunities. Keep an eye on real estate on this lake. If one pops up, it’ll likely be affordable and nabbed quickly!

Paudash Lake

Paudash Lake is 20 minutes southwest of Bancroft and is an up and comer to watch as it’s quite underpopulated. The lake only has 600 cottages on the 2,500 acre body of water.

Madawaska Highlands

Bark Lake

To combat the increasing prices of waterfront homes in Ontario, buyers and new builders are accepting the fact that they need to drive a little further outside the GTA to get the most bang for their buck. You’ll find Bark Lake in the heart of the Madawaska Highlands, 10 minutes west of Barry’s Bay. Around 90% of the surrounding land is crown, which makes it a region of low population density.

Kamaniskeg Lake

One of the largest lakes in the area, Kamaniskeg edges Barry’s Bay. With over 90km of boating, it’s a summer vacationer’s paradise! Towards the north end of the lake, you can find waterfront homes for under $400,000 and land for under $80,000.

Kawartha Lakes

The Kawartha Lakes region is east and slightly north of the GTA and has no shortage of bodies of water to fall in love with. A popular destination tucked into the Kawartha Lakes is Bobcaygeon, which gained quite a bit of attention thanks to The Tragically Hip. The town has a bustling downtown with trendy boutiques and restaurants, which is surprising despite its 3,500 population.

Sturgeon Lake

Sturgeon Lake is Y-shaped with easy access to some of the most picturesque towns in the Kawartha Lakes: Fenelon Falls, Lindsay, and Bobcaygeon. The lake offers both sand and rock waterfronts, depending on the area you build your home. One of the greatest things about the Kawartha Lakes area is that cottagers can avoid the northbound weekend traffic. Once the 407 extends further east, we expect to see an even larger flock of new cottagers. As a hot spot for fisherman, Sturgeon Lake is home to muskie, walleye, and largemouth bass.

Buckhorn Lake

Also among the Kawartha Lakes, Buckhorn Lake gets its name from its shape which resembles a buck head with antlers (horns) on either side. You can find a finished family home on the lake for under $500,000 and vacant waterfront land for under $30,000. Keep Buckhorn Lake on your radar before it becomes too crowded!

Haliburton Highlands

The Haliburton area can be considered the untapped cottage country region of Ontario. It offers a unique four seasons experience–snowshoeing and snowmobiling in the winter, boating and fishing in the spring and summer, and hunting in the fall. Algonquin Park is within the Haliburton region which attracts over one million outdoors lovers each year.

Cottagers are migrating to this area as the price of houses and land are significantly less expensive than that of the Muskoka region. With recent attention from Cottage Life magazine, it’s no wonder the Haliburton area is an up and coming hot spot for cottaging.

While larger lake in Haliburton like Kennisis typically have higher prices for homes and land, it’s the smaller lakes throughout the region where you can find prime waterfront real estate or adorable cottages much more affordably.

Maple Lake

Maple Lake is popular due to its sandy beaches. Vacant waterfront land starts at $30,000.

Halls Lake

20 minutes west of Haliburton, Halls Lake is the affordable up and coming hot spot with providing a smaller sense of community. With waterfront homes starting in the $200s, Halls Lake is one to keep on your radar.

With summer quickly approaching, we’ve all got dock fever. Keep an eye on these up and coming cottage regions in Ontario, but don’t wait to make your move!