Beach Bums? Forget it, we’re “Boat Bums!”
Canada is consistently known as one of the best places to travel. Among the many amazing things this country has to offer, nothing beats boating in Canada.
We love feeling the warm breeze on your skin on a hot summer day and dropping anchor at a spot that’s so amazing it begs you to stay awhile. We also love spending blissfully uninterrupted time cruising the lake with our family and friends. Being Boat Bums is also about leaving your shoes at the dock and letting that push be your last contact with the shore for the whole day.
For Canadians, being on the water is as much a state of mind as a GPS location. So, the only question remains: Where are the best places to go boating when in Canada this year? Check it out!
1. Shuswap Lake (B.C.)
Canada’s Shuswap Lake in the Northern Okanagan region of B.C. is a serious boater playground! This lake boasts hundreds of km of shoreline, beaches, waterfront parks, and pristine mountain scenery.
2. The Muskoka Lakes & Trent Severn Waterway Region, Ontario
National Geographic Traveler Magazine once named Muskoka the #1 place to live in the world during the summer months! We agree!
This part of Ontario is perfect for the transient boater. You can easily hop from the Muskoka Lakes onto the historic Trent Severn Waterway, where they can travel 386 km through 44 different locks. This is genuinely picturesque, small-town Cottage Lifestyle boating.
3. Good Spirit Lake (Saskatchewan)
Good Spirit Beach has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 10 beaches! But Good Spirit Lake is also pretty cool – the clear, shallow waters are surrounded by white sand dunes.
So, if you’re a mixed family of boaters and beach bums, this beautiful lake near the town of Canora will be an excellent spot for your boating crew!
4. The Rideau Canal & Waterway (Ontario)
This boating experience will take you through 45 locks and over 202 km. The waterway travels from the quiet beauty of the Canadian Shield to the foot of Parliament Hill in urban Ottawa.
The Rideau Canal (Ontario’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site) boating tour is great for history buffs.
5. The Northumberland Strait (NB, PEI, and NS)
Located between the shores of PEI, Nova Scotia & New Brunswick, the Northumberland Strait is popular for being one of Canada’s warmest waterways in the summertime and for the colorful east coast shorelines and harbors.
Here, you can encompass all the Maritimes in 175 nautical miles. Pretty cool!
6. Harrison Lake (B.C.)
Located just outside hustling, bustling Vancouver, the pace slows down at Harrison Lake, home of the beloved Sasquatch, the Harrison Hot Springs, and some excellent white sturgeon fishing.
White sturgeon is the world’s oldest fish! How about those bragging rights?
Lake Newell is the largest (and warmest) man-made lake in Alberta. Located in the stretch between Calgary and Medicine Hat, this lake is huge, fully stocked with fish, and known for hosting some awesome water sports activities. It’s one of the fastest lakes for sailing and windsurfing in Canada.
Check out Kinbrook Island Provincial Park while you’re there!
8. The St. Lawrence River (QC and ONT)
The St. Lawrence Seaway stretches over 1,100 km across “La belle province de Quebec” before it enters the island-peppered Ontario stretch of the waterway.
Boaters will encounter the 1,000 Islands around gorgeous Gananoque and the hauntingly beautiful Boldt Castle located on Heart Island. This island is in U.S. waters, so bring your passport if you want to dock your boat and go ashore!
9. Kenora (ONT)
A hidden gem (well, maybe not anymore), the stunning Lake of the Woods area surrounding Northern Ontario’s Kenora (a gem of a city!) is now considered North America’s Premier Boating Destination.
Lake of the Woods offers boaters and paddlers authentically rugged landscapes and a truly pristine boating experience.
10. New Brunswick’s Riverways (NB)
In New Brunswick, the Bay of Fundy collides with the riverways taking them from tranquil to powerful. Kayakers will want to check out the challenging St. Croix River — it’s a great place to go adventuring!
Or, check out the famous salmon and fly-fishing on the Miramichi River if relaxation is more your thing! Then dock the boat, throw on your lifejacket, and drift down the lazy river on a tube!
11. Kluane Lake, National Park and Reserve (YT)
While this spot is last on our list, but definitely not the last of the best places for boating in Canada, we want you to experience boating in the Canadian North-West. The Kluane National Park and Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and for good reason. The lake’s panoramic beauty is beyond belief.
It’s also one of Canada’s top fishing spots, declared a “Trophy Lake” due to the big catches.
Be warned, though: Kluane Lake is frozen for seven months of the year, so get there while you can! We promise it’s worth it.
Enjoy Safe Adventures When Boating in Canada
Two Million Lakes, three oceans, and 15 million boaters all add up to this: boating in Canada is awesome.
Canadians love boating. And since it became a requirement for boaters to obtain proof of competency (i.e., a Pleasure Craft Operator Card or boating license), Canada’s boating-related deaths have been reduced by 35%!
Boating is a huge part of the Canadian lifestyle. Most of us live less than an hour from a waterway! So, go adventuring in your own backyard and let us know if you find a top Canadian boating location.
Before you go, take your boating safety course through BOATsmart! and stay safe throughout your adventures!
Originally published March 2020. Content most recently reviewed and updated for accuracy and relevancy September 17, 2024.
