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Largest fresh water lake without an island: North
Muskoka Lake sets world record
[April
28] SUNDRIDGE, ON, Canada -- Measuring approximately 7 km in length
and 2.5 km in width, Lake Bernard, just north of the Muskoka
Lakes district, has been deemed the “world’s largest fresh
water lake without an island by the World Record Academy.
Photo:
Muskoka
Guest Nest
(enlarge
photo)
The
popular Ontario vacation destination of Almaguin Highlands,
located just 2-˝ hours north of Toronto, is home to a very
unique lake.
Lake Bernard is large in comparison to the majority
of Ontario’s thousands of lakes.The fact that there are no
islands on Lake Bernard is what sets it apart from other large
lakes.
Another interesting characteristic of this lake
is that it is not connected to any other lake.
This is quite unusual for a lake of its size.
(enlarge
photo)
Lake Bernard’s lack of islands and the fact that
it is not connected to any other lake is very curious since,
just to the south, the Muskoka Lakes region is famous for
its hundreds of lakes that are full of islands, and most of
these lakes are interconnected.
Why this abnormality? Many suggest that the lake
is the result of an ancient meteor strike. This explanation
has not been conclusively proven however.
With an average depth of over 150 ft, and
rumoured to be as deep as 400 ft in some spots, Lake Bernard’s
depth is also uncommon.
Photo: This boathouse is located on the southwest
shore of Lake Muskoka, in a landscape that has been defined
by the pre-Cambrian granite of the Canadian Shield, mythologized
by the paintings of the Group of Seven, and adorned by pioneer
log cabins, ornate Victorian cottages and custom wooden boats
built by local craftsmen. Like Le Corbusier’s rustic cabin
in southern France and the Adirondack camps of upstate New
York , the boathouse is a “sophisticated hut” in the wilderness.
It has received The
Governor General's Medal in Architecture in 2004. (enlarge
photo)
A quiet lake with little motorboat traffic, Lake
Bernard has remained sparsely developed with limited shore
development, which has helped to keep its waters exceptionally
clean. The lack of building around the lake and the fact that
a minimum setback from the lake's edge is 66ft or 100ft where
there is fish habitat present, means that the lake will remain
in its beautiful natural state.
For area residents and vacations, Lake Bernard
is much better known for its fabulous fishing than for its
claim to fame as a geographic oddity.
(enlarge photo)
Lake trout and whitefish are plentiful due to
Lake Bernard’s large size and depth. Other species in the
lake include bass and yellow perch.
In the winter, ice fishing is extremely popular.
Surprisingly, Lake Bernard has great fishing and an abundant
fish population inspite of the fact that it is not an artifically
stocked lake. The Ministry of the Environment and Fisheries
use Lake Bernard as an example of a sustainable natural fish
habitat.
Michael & Brenda Piraino, owners
of Lake
Bernard’s Northridge Inn & Resort, understand the
importance of lake stewardship and do all that they can to
protect the lake and to maintain their resort property in
its beautiful natural wilderness state. “As well as having
a recycling program and using eco-friendly products wherever
possible, we encourage native plants and never use herbicides
or pesticides. We have over 1450 feet of Lake Bernard shore
line and we feel it is our duty to protect it for future generations,”
states Michael.
“Our guests return time and again to Northridge
Inn and Lake Bernard because of the crystal clear water, the
fresh clean air and the pristine wilderness setting. Some
of our older guests tell us that Lake Bernard and the Almaguin
Highlands remind them of what Muskoka use to be like, before
it because overly developed,” adds Brenda.
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