Covering almost eight percent of the country's landmass, the lakes of Canada add more to the nation’s glory. From supplying fresh water to the natives to being the best escapades, the lakes of Canada mesmerize the onlooker by their scenic beauty. Nature’s utmost creation these waters add glimmer to the picturesque backdrops of the mountains and glaciers of Canada.
Filled with turquoise and emerald green water with unraveling bottoms connecting to the threads of history, the lakes of Canada are just not limited to sightseeing and photography. Home to the underwater wilderness and freakshows of nature, each of the lakes has a feather distinct to make it to the hat!
The Lakes of Canada are a special treat to the ones looking for a tinge of adventure in their trip to this country. The lakes are a hub for outdoor activities including hiking, kayaking, skiing, canoeing, camping, mountain climbing, and boating. Make sure you carry your equipment while visiting these lakes.
While there are around two million lakes in Canada, here are the top 15 of them that you cannot miss out on your next visit to Canada.
1. Moraine Lake (Alberta)
Located in the picturesque Valley of the Ten Peaks in the Banff National Park, Moraine Lake is one of the scintillating lakes of Canada. This icy blue lake spreads in an area of one hundred and twenty acres with a depth of fifty feet to explore. A sight for the shutterbugs to capture, the reflection of the glaciers, perfectly set pine trees and glimmering clear skies will make you lose words at the beauty of nature. Besides being a spot for photographers, this is also a bearing for the ones looking for hiking and canoeing while a big NO lies on the grounds of swimming and fishing!
In case you are looking for an adrenaline rush around the Moraine, you can set your foot forward to the Sentinel Pass, Mount Temple and Eiffel Peak for a hike and entice the beautiful view. You can also spend a peaceful night at the lodge nearby open seasonally for accommodations.
2. Emerald Lake (British Columbia)
Serving right to its name, this emerald green lake is a nature’s miracle amidst the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Largest among the 61 lakes in the vicinity of the Yoho National Park, the Emerald Lake is located at the height of almost 1200 metres which is though an easy reach by vehicle. Though the lake stays frozen from the month of November to June, this place is an excellent spot to visit at any time of the year. You can entail in the 3km hike or indulge in canoeing, cross-country skiing or even snowshoeing. For the souls dreaming of a perfect getaway for a solo trip, this lake is your destination to unwind!
3. Garibaldi Lake (British Columbia)
Located in the wilderness of the Garibaldi National Park, this lake lies surrounded by Alpine meadows and snow-capped glaciers stunning the sight of the onlookers. It is commonly known as the picture-perfect square due to its crystal clear waters making it the perfect spot for the ones ready to capture the beauty of nature. However, like every beautiful thing, the sight of this lake in person is not a cakewalk. To make up for this beautiful nature’s bliss 1450 metres above sea level, you need to take a strenuous long 9 kilometres to hike uphill and stretch your muscles.
A popular lake sight for camping, the Garibaldi lake is a perfect fit for the ones interested in fishing and escaping in the picturesque backdrop!
4. Spotted Lake (British Columbia)
A sheer nature’s enchantment, the Spotted Lake is located in the Similkameen Valley in British Columbia has the most whimsical view for the eyes. Ranging under half a mile in length and width of less than a quarter a mile, this lake has an impeccably high mineral deposit that binds into different coloured patches when the water evaporates. Starring polka dots in the colours of blue and green, the Spotted Lake is a sacred site of the innate tribes of Osoyoos, British Columbia. They realised the medicinal and healing properties of the lake which makes this one of the most-visited lakes of Canada. If you have a knack for bizarre sites, the Spotted Lake is unarguably your go-to spot.
5. Lake Superior (Ontario)
As its name says, Lake Superior is superior in all ways! Not just the largest of the great lakes, this one is the largest lake in the world with a surface area of thirty-two thousand square miles.
Featuring uber-beautiful scenery, this lake is surrounded by National Parks, canyons, cliffs, beaches, forests and the hidden Bathtub Island making this a tourist spot of Canada you must not miss out on. Swimming, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, or camping this lake is one for the adventure lurkers while the tranquillity and the scintillating view set it right for the peace seekers. The southern portion of this lake amidst Canada and the United States is known as the “Graveyard of the Great Lakes” due to a high experience of shipwrecks including the famous SS Edmund Fitzgerald lost in 1975. Adding more for the curious minds, this area is now an underwater reserve.
The best way to visit this lake is to drive through its 700 km shoreline while you entice the stunning National Parks including Lake Superior Provincial Park, Nimoosh Provincial Park, and Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. If you are considering walking off the trail of its shores, then we say bless your feet!
6. Lake Ontario (Ontario)
One of the most beautiful lakes in Canada, Lake Ontario captures the stillness of the freshwater and the excitement of the cliffs and beaches. Brimming with hikers, this place is perfect for the ones seeking thrill offering paddleboarding, canoeing, and windsurfing. Not only is this lake a scenic spot for tourists but supplies drinking water to over 9 million citizens of Ontario and the United States of New York.
An enchanting getaway in loads of biodiversity, this is a perfect place to plan out your big day and put that ring on her finger! An ideal place for the Romeos to capture their precious moment, Lake Ontario is where you must head towards!
7. Maligne Lake (Alberta)
One of the most photographed stretches of azure-blue water, the Maligne Lake is known for its scenic beauty set around the stunning Spirit Island and three glaciers. The best part about this particular Canadian lake is that it is easily accessible by the roads and is also the starting point to one of the most popular hikes - the Skyline.
Not just limited to its beauty, this lake also has its thread tangled with history and is home to two registered Alberta historic buildings. Set lose the thrill-seeker in you as this lake is a perfect destination for kayaking, fishing and canoeing with some camping bases available all the seasons, although accessible only through canoeing. Don’t miss out to visit the tiny Spirit Island if you are going in the summers, it is a sheer delight!
8. Peyto Lake (Alberta)
Another sought-after lake of Canada for the photographers, the Peyto Lake is one that will blow up your Instagram feed with its sheer appeal! A popular spot in the summers for the tourists as well as natives of the land, this lake is set aside the Icefields Parkway with the highest point, Bow Summit grabbing major attention due to the mesmerising beauty. If your spouse has a knack for photography or is on the trail to find heaven-like attractions on Earth, this is one place to keep a notch up on your travel bucket list.
A fine hiking trail for the hikers and climbers, this lake can be headed to by a paved footpath making it a cakewalk for the one beginning their journey to the love of hiking.
9. Berg Lake (British Columbia)
Bringing our childhood drawing of a mountain around a lake, the Berg Lake is a beautiful lakeside setting to wander! Perched in front of Mount Robson, Canada’s highest peak the turquoise blue waters add more sparkles to the amazing views. A photographer’s dream, this lake can only be reached by hiking through the wilderness of the pine forests of the Mount Robson Provincial Park passing through the Valley of Thousand Waterfalls which is an awe-striking destination to visit in Canada.
Located at an altitude of five and a half thousand feet, this lake is surrounded by icebergs which give a surreal view for the onlookers worth all the sweat shed through the hike.
10. Abraham Lake (Alberta)
A man-made reservoir yet Abraham Lake tops the list of famous lakes of Canada because of its bubble phenomenon, a certain freakshow of nature! This lake was created in 1972 by the damming of Alberta’s North Saskatchewan River and stretches over twenty miles with a surface area of twenty-one square miles.
So what’s the fuss behind the artificial lake? This lake has showcased one of the great magic of nature where during the harsh Canadian winters, the water freezes trapping the methane-filled bubbles and freezing them. The methane is released due to the decaying of the underwater vegetation, and which gets frozen in the form of bubbles. These frozen bubbles are a spot for photographers from all over the world. Make sure to keep your matches aside when you near this methane-filled reservoir, you don’t want to catch a flame!
11. Medicine Lake (Alberta)
Blessed with the abundance of flora and fauna, Medicine lake is home to a wide variety of wildlife vegetation including bears, moose, mule deers, all kinds of eagles, and osprey. Due to its shallow shores, this place is a popular spot for fishermen to hook rainbows and brook trout.
Though this lake has a whole lot of life around and within only to disappear during the fall!
Fed by the melting water of the glaciers, this lake is a seasonal one that only flows during the spring and the summer season adding to the most extensive underwater system of the world. If you are planning to visit this lake, make sure you do it before it vanishes!
12. Lake Louise (Alberta)
Named after Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Louise Caroline, this lake is an all-season destination to visit in Canada. A royalty in its own, this glacial lake is surrounded by an array of stunning mountains including the Victoria glacier at an altitude of 1750 metres. The emerald green water of this lake adds to the magnified beauty of this gleaming sight of tranquillity and peace.
Not just a sight to look at, this lake has a lot of activities to indulge in too, including hiking, boating, ice skating, ice fishing, and mountain biking. The first stop on the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, the Louise Ski Area also lies close to the lake, making it one of the best spots to ski during the winters.
13. Lake Huron (Ontario)
Lake Huron is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world providing water to the huge population of the natives around the lake. Named after the Huron Indians, this lake also has the longest shoreline out of all the five Great Lakes. Surrounded by the flora and fauna of the Canadian vicinity, this lake is known for its uber hypnotizing view of the sunsets over the southern shoreline which makes this lake boast the beauty it is enriched in.
14. Lake Memphremagog (Quebec)
Lake Memphremagog got its name from the Algonquin word for - “where there is a big expanse of water” due to its huge size. This lake is the result of the ancient glaciers and is located between the US State of Vermont and Quebec, with its shoreline being home to 21 islands.
Studded with the backdrop of sturdy mountains in the west and lush green hills in theat the west, the picturesque view makes nature’s beauty an overwhelming delight.
In case you are wonderingyou wondering about a vacation with your children, the children’s sailing club Sargent’s Bay Yacht Club will certainly prick your interest!
15. Kootenay River (British Columbia)
Located between the mountain ranges of Purcell and Selkirk, Kootenay Lake is one of the most sought-after lakes for its mesmerizing views. HomeHouse to a wide variety of underwater vegetation including white sturgeon, kokanee salmon, mountain whitefish, and rainbow trout, this lake is also a popular spot for one’s looking for a weekend to show off their fishing skills.
A tranquil destination to ease, the panoramic view of the river makes you get lost in the beauty of nature and lose tracklose the track of time. You can visit Kootenayvisit the Kootenay Lake through the Kootenay Lake Ferry that runs throughout the year for free, making it the longest free scenic ferry in the World. It carries a maximum of 250 passengers and 80 vehicles at once and the journey is a treat to the eyes!
The bottoms of this lake are a storehouse of shipwrecks and history-making it a prime destination for scuba divers, snorkelers, and kayakers to explore the underwater historic sites under the protection of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
While the lakes of Canada have one thing in common - beauty, they are distinct in their own way which makes each of them a unique craft of Mother Earth. The surreal peaks set in the backdrop, these lakes are the best escapades for you to break through the monotony of your life and spend some time unwinding yourself in nature. When are you planning your visit to the lake of Canada?