Field Guides/Trent Lakes
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RegionTrent Lakes, Ontario
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Verified2026-05-06

Trent Lakes.

44.60° N78.40° W17 activities 0 signature5 strong14 named places
Trent Lakes landscape
01 — Abstract

Trent Lakes is the northern Peterborough County township where Buckhorn Lock 31 separates Buckhorn Lake from Lower Buckhorn Lake on the Trent-Severn Waterway, and where the chain of interconnected Kawartha lakes — Buckhorn, Lower Buckhorn, Pigeon, Catchacoma, and Crystal — runs north toward the Shield. The village of Buckhorn anchors the lockstation community, with Lakehurst, Catchacoma, Crystal Lake, and Flynn's Corners scattered through the township's cottage-country interior.

Catchacoma Lake on the township's north side is the principal Trent-Lakes-side access into Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park's backcountry canoe network, while the Buckhorn / Lower Buckhorn / Pigeon Lake reach carries the Trent-Severn cruising and fishing traffic. Most of it is a short drive north of Peterborough or a few hours northeast of the GTA via Highway 115 / 28.

02 — Conditions

Today's read.

Air Quality
6
aqhi · moderate
UV Index
5.7
scale 0–11
Humidity
29%
relative
Wind
15 km/h
West
Temp
+27°
H 27° · L 8°
Sun
05:30 / 20:53
15h 23m daylight
A+
GOOD DAY TO BE OUTSIDE

Real-time conditions updated; AI field notes unavailable.

9-day high · 8° → 27°
04 — Featured

5. activities
worth your time

▲ signature · 0strong · 5also available · 12
Camping in Trent LakesStrong
01

Camping

Catchacoma Lake on the township's north side is the principal Trent-Lakes-side gateway into Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park's backcountry canoe-camping network, with designated interior campsites accessed by paddle from Catchacoma into the park's interior chain. Camping inside the park is reservation-only through Ontario Parks; designated sites only; permit fees apply per night per person. The headline access points elsewhere in the park — Long Lake, Anstruther Lake, Wolf Lake — sit on the North Kawartha side.

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Paddling — Flatwater in Trent LakesStrong
02

Paddling — Flatwater

The Kawartha lake chain — Buckhorn Lake, Lower Buckhorn Lake, Pigeon Lake, Catchacoma Lake, and Crystal Lake — runs the length of the township as a connected flatwater network, with Buckhorn Lock 31 between the two Buckhorn lakes on the Trent-Severn Waterway. Catchacoma Lake on the north side is the principal Trent-Lakes-side put-in into Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park's interior canoe-route network; the bulk of that network sits in North Kawartha, but the Catchacoma access supports day and overnight routes from inside the township.

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Sailing & Boating in Trent LakesStrong
03

Sailing & Boating

Buckhorn Lock 31 sits at the centre of the township between Buckhorn Lake and Lower Buckhorn Lake on the 386 km Trent-Severn Waterway, the Parks Canada heritage canal between Lake Ontario at Trenton and Georgian Bay at Port Severn. Through-cruising and houseboat traffic between the Bay of Quinte and Lake Simcoe passes the lockstation directly, and the Buckhorn / Lower Buckhorn / Pigeon Lake reach is one of the heavier-used cruising stretches inside the Kawarthas. Lockage operates on the Parks Canada navigation-season schedule.

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Freshwater Fishing in Trent LakesStrong
04

Freshwater Fishing

The Buckhorn, Lower Buckhorn, Pigeon, Catchacoma, and Crystal lakes carry the multi-species Kawartha fishery — walleye, smallmouth and largemouth bass, muskie, and panfish across the warmwater chain, with cold-water lake trout in the deeper Shield lakes (Catchacoma and Crystal). Trent Lakes sits within Fisheries Management Zone 15 (Haliburton Highlands & Kawarthas) and the Central Bait Management Zone, so the bait-transport rule and FMZ 15 seasons apply across the township.

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Heritage & Culture in Trent LakesStrong
05

Heritage & Culture

Buckhorn Lockstation (Lock 31) is a working Parks Canada Trent-Severn site — the masonry, gates, and operating equipment of the heritage canal infrastructure remain in seasonal use between Buckhorn Lake and Lower Buckhorn Lake. The lock grounds are a public visitor space during navigation season, with the broader Trent-Severn Waterway carrying federal heritage-canal designation across its 44 lockstations.

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04b — Also available

12. more outings
surveyed.

Activities supported across Trent Lakes without a featured write-up.

  • 01

    Hiking

    day-hiking
  • 02

    Walking & Strolling

    Buckhorn village waterfront and lockstation grounds
  • 03

    Nature & Discovery

    birding · nature-interpretation
  • 04

    Cycling

    road
  • 05

    Swimming & Beach

    lake-swim
  • 06

    Cross-Country & Nordic

    classic-xc
  • 07

    Snow Adventure

    snowshoeing · ice-fishing · snowmobiling
  • 08

    Sky Watching

    stargazing
  • 09

    Seasonal Phenomena

    fall-colours
  • 10

    Wildlife Viewing

    Kawartha Highlands shorelines (Catchacoma side)
  • 11

    Motorized Touring

    scenic-drive
  • 12

    Food & Drink

    Buckhorn village shops and small-cluster cottage-country food
05 — Curated experiences

Local operators.

Trusted outfitters, guides, and experience providers in Trent Lakes.

0124 minPaddling Flatwater

Adventure Outfitters

Canoe, kayak, and SUP rentals from a Lakefield outdoor retailer that builds its own Paluski boats on premises

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0214 minSailing Boating

Egan Houseboat Rentals

Houseboat rentals on the Trent-Severn Waterway from Omemee, Ontario — four boat classes sleeping 4 to 15 people, no boating license required

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0331 minSailing Boating

Fenelon Falls Marina

Yamaha Elite family-run marina on Cameron Lake in the Kawarthas, with pontoon, deck, and fishing boat rentals

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0441 minFreshwater Fishing

GOAT Angling Adventures

Guided bass, muskie, and walleye charters across six Kawartha lakes with a Canada/US Walleye Champion guide

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0525 minPaddling Flatwater

Kawartha Adventure Rentals

Canoe, kayak, SUP, pontoon, and Sea-Doo rentals on Stoney Lake with delivery and shuttles into Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park

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0645 minSailing Boating

Liftlock & The Riverboat Cruises

Two-hour sightseeing cruises over the Peterborough Liftlock and the Trent-Severn Waterway aboard The Island Princess III

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0742 minMotorized Touring

Minden Off-Road Park

Family-run off-road park with 14+ km of custom trails on 131 acres for Jeep, ATV, SXS and 4WD vehicles in Haliburton County

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0837 minPaddling Flatwater

The Land Canadian Adventures

ORCKA, WFR and NLS-certified backcountry canoe tripping and outdoor education out of Apsley in North Kawartha

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0943 minCycling

Wild Rock Outfitters

Independent Peterborough outdoor outfitter with Shimano bike service, daily Kawarthas rentals, and a Canada-wide used-gear trade-in

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1040 minHorseback Riding

Wildhart Equestrian

Small-herd horse boarding on 98 acres near Fenelon Falls with a 65 x 128 ft indoor arena

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1137 minFreshwater Fishing

Williams Outfitters

Native-owned guided bass fishing on the Kawartha Lakes with an Ojibwe tournament angler

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1225 minPaddling Flatwater

Woodland Camp Site

Family-run Kawarthas campground on Buckhorn Lake with canoe, kayak, and paddle boat rentals, a sandy swim beach, and a guest boat launch

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13Water Sports - Kayak/Canoe/SUP

Anstruther Lake Marina

Boat, pontoon, bowrider, canoe, kayak, paddleboard rentals

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14Water Sports - Boating/Sailing

Boatman Rental

pontoon boat rentals

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15Water Sports - Boating/Sailing

Buckhorn Narrows

boat rentals (pontoon, jon boats), seasonal trailer sites

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16Horseback Riding

Buckhorn Riding Academy

Horseback trail rides, pony rides, riding lessons, children's camps

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17Water Sports - Boating/Sailing

Comfortech Bike Rentals and Retail Store

Bike rentals (comfort bikes, e-bikes, beach cruisers, mountain bikes, tandems, child bikes/trailers)

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18Fishing

Peterborough Carping Guides

Guided carp fishing tours

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19Water Sports - Boating/Sailing

R & R Houseboats

Houseboat rentals w/ slides & hot tubs, other watercraft rentals

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20Rock Climbing/Bouldering

Rock and Rope Climbing Centre

Indoor rock climbing, lessons, youth programs, camps

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21General Outdoor

Rooted Heart

Guided forest therapy walks, sensory invitations, tea ceremonies

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