About the lake

Crotch Lake is the third largest of the chain of lakes which is part of the Mississippi River system in Eastern Ontario.

Crotch Lake is a typical Canadian Shield lake with numerous islands, rocky points, with deep and shallow areas. Crotch Lake has two basins separated by a narrow passage between the lakes-thus the crotch. The lake is over 5300 acres in size and is 9 miles in length with more than 55 miles of undeveloped wilderness shoreline. The maximum depth is 101 feet; the mean depth is 36 feet.  Fawn Lake and Twin Island Lake are two adjoining lakes accessible during high water periods.

Crotch Lake has two major inflows. The Mississippi River flows into the lake from the north and Gull Creek which flows in from Big Gull Lake from the southwest. The Mississippi River flows out of Crotch Lake from the northeast side of the north basin.

Crotch Lake levels are regulated by a dam atthe outflow. This dam controls the level of the lake and provides relatively stable water levels for the towns and villages and lakes downstream, storage for the spring run-off and flood control as well as producing hydro-electric power for the grid. Crotch Lake experiences twice annual draw downs.   Water levels are usually high during the spring and the lake is gradually drawn down over the course of the summer and early fall. Lowest water levels occur usually in early October. The lake is filled again during late fall and early winter only to be drawn down again over the winter.

Tumblehome Lodge, which is located at the extreme southern end of the south basin, uses portable floating docks which are moved regularly as the season progresses.

Water levels also affects the size of our beach.  In the spring it is small and underwater, but by late summer it is much larger.

Crotch Lake is a beautiful lake with miles of natural shoreline giving boaters a sense of a truly Canadian wilderness experience.