Lake Scugog: a lake that people made, and once unmade

Is the lake natural?

Only in part. According to the encyclopedia's account (a secondary source), the original water was closer to a shallow marsh with two connected basins. In 1834 William Purdy built a mill dam at Lindsay, downstream, and the water rose by around ten feet. Higher ground became islands, and the largest of them was Scugog. Most of those islands later rejoined the mainland; Scugog Island is kept an island by man-made channels around its swampy south end.

What was the dam riot?

The flooded farms bred fevers, and settlers around the lake were furious. One summer day in 1838 they took axes, flintlocks and pitchforks and tore the dam apart. No one was charged. In 1843 the provincial Board of Works agreed a lower level with Purdy, and a new dam and lock were completed in 1844. The Mississaugas paid a different price: the Nation's own history notes that by the 1830s dams had flooded the wild rice beds that had fed its families.

Why is the water so murky in summer?

The lake is shallow and its bed is deep marl, a soft lime-rich mud, which clouds the water in warm weather. The same shallowness is why waves get up quickly in the wind, which may be where the "waves leap over a canoe" reading of the name comes from.

Is the fishing good?

It has a reputation. The encyclopedia lists largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappie, muskellunge, perch, rock bass, carp and catfish, and notes there is no season to keep walleye because of a dwindling population. Ontario's fishing rules and licences apply; check the provincial regulations for the zone before you cast. Port Perry also hosts bass tournaments in summer.

Can we get on the water?

Yes. Scugog Island Marina rents boats about eight minutes from the hotel, and the hotel itself lists Port Perry Paddleboard among local things to do. Scugog's tourism site groups canoe, kayak and paddleboarding among its lake activities. The municipal boat launch at the Rotary Environment Park is in town.

What happens in winter?

The lake freezes and fills with ice-fishing huts, and snowmobilers use it too, according to the encyclopedia's description of Port Perry. Ice conditions change every year; never go out on the ice without local, current information. If you would rather skate on something solid, the township ran a lakefront outdoor rink in downtown Port Perry in the 2025–26 season, open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. when weather allowed.