Rice Lake

A long, shallow Trent–Severn lake distinguished by drumlin islands, wetlands and a rich fishing heritage.

Rice Lake is a large, shallow lake south of Peterborough, Ontario, and forms an important section of the Trent–Severn Waterway. Its elongated basin, distinctive islands and long relationship with Manoomin, or wild rice, give it a character unlike the deeper Kawartha lakes farther north (Parks Canada, 2025, 2026).

Location Peterborough County and Northumberland County, Ontario.

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Surface Area 95.6 km²

Maximum Depth 27 ft

Elevation 187 m

Latitude 44.1598

Longitude -78.1662

About the Lake

Rice Lake is the largest lake in Ontario’s Fisheries Management Zone 17 and is recognized by the province as one of Ontario’s Provincially Significant Inland Fisheries. The Otonabee River enters from the north, and the lake drains eastward into the Trent River as part of the Trent–Severn Waterway. Compared with deeper Shield lakes, Rice Lake is relatively shallow and supports extensive nearshore and wetland habitat (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 2009, 2026; Parks Canada, 2018).

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Things to Do

Fishing and boating are central to recreation on Rice Lake, but its shoreline also supports cycling, paddling and waterfront parks. The Rice Lake Ramble is a 74-kilometre cycling route through Northumberland County, while waterfront parks in Bewdley and Gore’s Landing provide places to picnic, fish and enjoy the lake. Rice Lake’s marshes and islands also make paddling a distinctive way to explore the shoreline (Northumberland Tourism, n.d.; Township of Hamilton, n.d.-a).

Boating

Rice Lake is part of the Trent–Severn Waterway and can be travelled without removing a boat from the water. The Otonabee River leads north toward Peterborough, while the eastern end of the lake leads through Hastings and Lock 18 into the Trent River and onward toward Lake Ontario. Because Rice Lake is long and exposed, the Canadian Hydrographic Service warns that strong northeast or southwest winds can create hazardous conditions; it also identifies submerged remnants of a former railway crossing in the central lake, with marked channels guiding boats through the obstruction (Canadian Hydrographic Service, 2025; Parks Canada, 2026).

Fishing

Rice Lake is one of Ontario’s most intensively monitored inland fisheries. In the province’s 2020 survey, anglers reported approximately 282,000 fishing days, with most targeted fishing effort directed toward bass, sunfish and crappie, followed by walleye. Ontario continues to classify Rice Lake as one of only 12 Provincially Significant Inland Fisheries receiving additional monitoring (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 2023; Government of Ontario, 2026).

Swimming

Public access to Rice Lake does not revolve around large municipal swimming beaches in the same way as Lake Simcoe. The Township of Hamilton maintains waterfront parks at Bewdley, Gore’s Landing and Harwood, but its current information specifically states that the water-access areas at Gore’s Landing and Harwood are not suitable for swimming. Swimming around Rice Lake is therefore more commonly associated with private cottage and resort shorelines than with a network of major public beaches (Township of Hamilton, n.d.-a).

Nearby Communities

Bewdley, Gore’s Landing, Harwood, Hastings, Hiawatha First Nation, Bailieboro and Keene

Bewdley, Gore’s Landing and Harwood provide waterfront access along the western and southern shores, while Hastings sits at the eastern outlet into the Trent River. Hiawatha First Nation is located along the north shore east of the Otonabee River and has a longstanding cultural relationship with Rice Lake (Township of Hamilton, n.d.-b; Hiawatha First Nation, n.d.; Parks Canada, 2026).

Sources & References

Canadian Hydrographic Service. (2025). Canadian sailing directions: CEN 309, Trent-Severn Waterway. Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Government of Ontario. (2026). Inland lakes monitoring.

Hiawatha First Nation. (n.d.). History.

Natural Resources Canada. (2021). Rice Lake. Canadian Geographical Names Database.

Northumberland Tourism. (n.d.). Rice Lake Ramble cycling route.

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. (2009). Fisheries Management Zone 17 fisheries management plan. Government of Ontario.

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. (2023). Selected results from the 2020 recreational fishing survey in Ontario: Fisheries management zones, provincially significant inland fisheries, and Great Lakes (Science and Research Technical Report TR-51). Government of Ontario.

Parks Canada. (2018). Water levels: Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site.

Parks Canada. (2025). Manoomin (wild rice).

Parks Canada. (2026). Nature and science: Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site.

Parks Canada. (2026). Lock 18 – Hastings: Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site.

Sonnenburg, E. P., Boyce, J. I., & Suttak, P. (2012). Holocene paleoshorelines, water levels and submerged prehistoric site potential of Rice Lake (Ontario, Canada). Journal of Archaeological Science, 39(12), 3553–3567.

Township of Hamilton. (n.d.-a). Waterfront parks.

Township of Hamilton. (n.d.-b). Community profile.

Signature Lake Map

Rice Lake Map - Poster

An unframed Rice Lake map poster celebrating the lake’s long, recognizable outline and the memories made along its shores.

Price range: $34.99 through $64.99

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Rice Lake Map - Framed poster

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A Rice Lake framed map featuring its recognizable outline in a clean, finished design. Ready-to-display lake wall art for the cottage, home or a meaningful gift.

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