Chandos Lake is the big one in the Crowe River watershed — the largest lake in it, and one of the few area lakes over a thousand hectares with an average depth past ten metres. You will find it about twenty kilometres east of Apsley in North Kawartha. The lake is shaped like a reversed L, built around three main bays: West Bay, South Bay, and Gilmour Bay. Most of its water comes from underground springs, and it drains north through Flat Creek into the Crowe River, eventually reaching Lake Ontario at Trenton. It is a head lake, not part of the managed Trent-Severn Waterway. The numbers: 1,387 hectares of surface, 48 metres at its deepest point, and 56 kilometres of shoreline.
The fishing credential here is official. Chandos is a designated Lake Trout lake, a label only about one percent of Ontario lakes carry. The trout sit deep — a hundred feet or more — in the north and east channel. The bays are a different story, holding bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and pike. Species: largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, lake trout, pike, and bluegill.
This is a busy recreational lake. Expect real boat traffic on summer weekends, although all shoals are clearly marked, which takes some of the guesswork out of getting around. Apsley, about twenty kilometres west, is the closest service town; Bancroft is within reach for bigger shopping trips.
On a busy lake, pay attention to the specific bay and its exposure: weekend wake and noise vary a lot between the main channel and the quieter bays. Standard rural waterfront rules apply — well, septic, and confirm whether access is year-round or seasonal. Ask about docking depth at the property too, since spring-fed levels can behave differently from managed lakes.
If Chandos Lake sounds like your kind of water, Wade Kovacic, Sales Representative with CENTURY 21 Granite Realty Group Inc., Brokerage, can help you find the right shoreline. Contact Wade today.
