A Beautiful Day of Peaceful Paddling at Gould Lake Conservation Area

There is no doubt that Gould Lake Conservation Area is an ideal place to enjoy a tranquil day.

This lake is so peaceful, with minimal recreational usage. Even with some boat traffic and dozens of paddlers, it’s easy to feel like you have the lake all to yourself with 222 hectares of water surface area.

Shallow Shorelines

When the lake is calm along the shorelines, the kayaks cut smoothly through the water, with only the smallest ripples following the watercraft.

The paddles dip through the surface with little splashing, so fish, fallen logs, and rocks are easily seen through the clear water.

Rise of the Canadian Shield

The small silhouettes in the distance become masses of rock, and the Canadian Shield rises from depths of up to 60 meters below the surface to tower above paddlers.

With almost 17 kilometres of shoreline, the lakeside varies greatly, from the cliffs and rock slides to marshes, wetlands, woodlands and a few small sandy beaches.

Wildlife Watching

Gould Lake Conservation Area is 589 hectares of incredible wilderness, located in the Frontenac Arch Biosphere, part of the Canadian Shield, and there are wildlife-watching opportunities everywhere you look. Keep your eyes peeled, and you may spot great blue herons, loons, osprey, vultures, and seagulls to snakes, turtles, fish, frogs and more.

You could see songbirds, chipmunks, porcupines, deer, and bears on the forest trails, to name a few more creatures that call this conservation area home.

Island Hopping Across the Lake

A series of islands come into view, dotting the midway point of the lake.

This is the widest part of the lake, but not the deepest, at only 32 metres. The isles provide aid in crossing this large body of water, breaking waves while providing a little shelter halfway across the lake. Their position helps paddlers locate the crown land’s boundary and the private lakeshore properties.

More Wild Sightings

  • An Icy Spring Hike on the Arab Lake Gorge Trail
  • A Spectacular Summer Hike on the Doe Lake Trail – Frontenac Provincial Park
  • Birdwatching on the Redwing Trail – Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary
  • A Beautiful Day of Peaceful Paddling at Gould Lake Conservation Area

Escape to a Different World

The calls of songbirds ring in the woods and marshlands. The buzzing of cicadas punctuates their musical serenades, the hum of dragonflies darting about, and the wail of loons carrying across the lake.

These little bays of Gould Lake are full of wetland plants and flowers, from water lilies to pickerelweed and cattails.

It feels like floating in a real-life Claude Monet water lily masterpiece, like escaping to a different world entirely and all thoughts of the hustle and bustle of daily life completely fade away.

More photos from around Gould Lake.

📍 Gould Lake Conservation Area, Frontenac County, Ontario
🌲 Traditional Lands of the Wendake-Nionwentsïo, Mississauga, and, Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ 

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More Paddling Adventures

  • Launching my Oru Beach on Mew Lake at Algonquin
  • Paddling Past Fall Colours on the Flatwater of Marten River
  • A Flippin’ Good Time Paddling at Charleston Lake Provincial Park
  • A Beautiful Day of Peaceful Paddling at Gould Lake Conservation Area
  • Paddling in the cliff’s shadow in Bon Echo
  • An Amazing Guided Tour with 1000 Islands Kayaking in Gananoque

#notsponsored – In 2019, Mike and I travelled worked with Frontenac County for the “Go Jump in a Lake! Crush Your Summer Goals #inFrontenac” experience blog. I had such a wonderful day at Gould Lake that I returned with my mom to paddle alongside the rocky ledges and treed shorelines the following month. The photos that appear in this blog are from both trips.