Kingscote Lake

Located at the southern section of Algonquin Park, Kingscote Lake is nestled between mountain bike trails and hiking trails along the York River. A small, but unique lake boasting 15 unique camping sites and small cabins located along the water’s edge. In the past, there was a small house located at the spot where people would enter or exit. Between 1999-2000, with the aid of the Living Legacy Program, the Nature Conservancy of Canada assisted Ontario Parks in acquiring and constructing a small campsite situated at the southern end of Kingscote.[1]

Locations we have camped on Kingscote Lake

Overview

The lake is the most southern access point into the Algonquin backcountry, hosting new and experienced canoeist looking for a quiet place to spend the weekend or venture deeper into the southern stretch of the park boundary.

Those interested in fishing might be in a big surprise as a unique subspecies of lake trout live in it’s depths and no where else.

Lake depth map of Kingscote Lake

Kingscote Lake is located in the southernmost region of Algonquin Provincial Park; north of the village of Harcourt, Ontario. The lake is divided into two sections, north and south, which are linked by shallow narrows. The maximum depth in the northern section is 86 feet, while the average depth is 26.2 ft.

Unique Inhabitants

Within the frigid, oxygen-rich waters lies a unique type of fish known as the Kingscote "Silver" lake trout. These trout stand out from the typical lake trout found in Algonquin due to their uniformly colored bodies that lack the typical white spots or distinct trout markings.[2]

Kingscote “Silver” Lake Trout by Reef Hunter

Algonquin Lakes

[1] Callan, Kevin, and Kevin Callan. “The Happy Camper: Algonquin’s Southern Access, Kingscote Lake - Explore Magazine.” Explore Magazine -, 23 Feb. 2024, explore-mag.com/the-happy-camper-algonquins-southern-access-kingscote-lake.

[2] Wilson, Chris Carroll, et al. “Algonquin’s Silver Lake Trout: Highlighting the History, Habitat, and Concerns for a Unique Biodiversity Element.” 2010. Aquatic Research and Development Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Mar. 2010, www.researchgate.net/profile/Chris-Wilson-3/publication/279450237_Algonquin's_silver_lake_trout_highlighting_the_history_habitat_and_concerns_for_a_unique_biodiversity_element/links/5593353c08aed7453d465773/Algonquins-silver-lake-trout-highlighting-the-history-habitat-and-concerns-for-a-unique-biodiversity-element.pdf.