What I tell buyers about Lake Manitouwabing real estate
Lake Manitouwabing is a finger lake, and that decides most of what matters when you buy here. The Hurdville dam raised the water about a century ago and joined several smaller waterbodies into the lake we have now: about 1,180 hectares (2,900 acres) of main basin, long arms and back bays, with 117 km of shoreline. It is twelve miles from Parry Sound, it has public boat launches, and you can still boat to the public docks at McKellar for the farmers' market.
Water depth is where the differences show up first. The MNR's lake fact sheet puts the deepest basins at 33 metres but the average depth at only 5.6, so much of this lake is shallow back bay. The deeper basins are cooler and clearer and are the preferred spots for swimming and docking; the back bays are warmer and more biologically active. Two cottages a few minutes apart by boat can be very different purchases, and it is worth seeing both at the dock. The water level is managed as well: the dam is run by Parry Sound Power Gen under the Seguin River Water Management Plan.
It is known for its walleye fishing, and the MNR lists walleye, smallmouth and largemouth bass, northern pike, lake whitefish and black crappie as the major species. Which of them were introduced, and what has been stocked, is set out plainly in the lake facts further down.
The question I hear most is whether the lake is holding its value, and I would rather show you than tell you. Further down this page is every waterfront sale I track in the Lake Manitouwabing area since 2020: how many sold each year, what they actually sold for, and how close that was to asking. Cottages and vacant land are reported separately because they behave differently, and the record is published whether or not it flatters the lake.
Current listings are below, including the Hurdville area and Tait's Island when they are available. If nothing is quite right, tell me what you are picturing and I will set up alerts tuned to it. If you want the backstory first, here is the history of Lake Manitouwabing and what there is to do around McKellar.
Every waterfront sale I track in the Lake Manitouwabing area is published further down this page: cottages and vacant land, volume, median and average price, and how close sellers came to asking.
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Latest Lake Manitouwabing Cottage Listings
The Lake Manitouwabing Market
Every waterfront sale in the Lake Manitouwabing area since 2020, summarized by year. Cottages and vacant land are reported separately because they behave differently, and averaging them together hides both. These are the actual closed figures, not an estimate.
Lake Manitouwabing peaked in 2021: seventeen cottages sold at a median of $1,400,000, and sellers were getting 105% of asking. Five years on the median sits at $970,000 and buyers are paying 96% of list. Across the Parry Sound district, cottage sales over the twelve months to September are up 17% on the year before but still 21% below the eight-year average (see the Q3 2026 Parry Sound report), so the regional number tells you little about this particular lake, which is the case for reading a lake on its own.
Volumes here are small. Nine sales in 2022, fifteen so far this year. A single unusual property moves a yearly median, so read direction across several years rather than trusting any one figure. Vacant land is the quieter story: eighteen parcels changed hands across 2020 and 2021, and only eight in the five years since.
Sales and Prices by Year
Switch between cottages and vacant land, and between median and average price. Bars are the number of sales; the line is price.
Cottages
| Year | Sales | Median Price | Average Price | Lowest | Highest | Sale-to-List |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 12 | $827,500 | $1,005,167 | $505,500 | $2,900,000 | 101% |
| 2021 | 17 | $1,400,000 | $1,303,516 | $576,760 | $2,150,000 | 105% |
| 2022 (9 sales) | 9 | $1,170,000 | $1,324,556 | $415,000 | $2,600,000 | 103% |
| 2023 | 18 | $985,000 | $1,209,056 | $442,000 | $2,775,000 | 98% |
| 2024 | 18 | $977,500 | $1,049,625 | $615,000 | $1,659,250 | 97% |
| 2025 | 24 | $858,000 | $1,023,354 | $650,000 | $2,451,000 | 96% |
| 2026 (partial year) | 15 | $970,000 | $1,197,200 | $570,000 | $1,899,000 | 96% |
Vacant Land
| Year | Sales | Median Price | Average Price | Lowest | Highest | Sale-to-List |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 6 | $400,568 | $406,522 | $190,000 | $613,000 | 115% |
| 2021 | 12 | $530,500 | $635,833 | $41,000 | $1,350,000 | 111% |
| 2022 (1 sale) | 1 | $465,000 | $465,000 | $465,000 | $465,000 | 83% |
| 2023 (3 sales) | 3 | $422,000 | $445,667 | $255,000 | $660,000 | 100% |
| 2024 (2 sales) | 2 | $612,500 | $612,500 | $325,000 | $900,000 | 85% |
| 2025 (1 sale) | 1 | $215,465 | $215,465 | $215,465 | $215,465 | 43% |
| 2026 (1 sale) | 1 | $151,000 | $151,000 | $151,000 | $151,000 | 84% |
Years marked in red had fewer than ten sales. With one or two transactions the figure describes those properties rather than the market, so read it as indicative only.
Cottage figures come from MLS® sold records for properties on Manitouwabing Lake, selected by the board's water body field and deduplicated to remove properties listed on more than one board. Vacant land figures cover waterfront lots in the McKellar and McDougall area. Sale-to-list is the average across that year's sales. Records before 2020 are too sparse in the source to publish honestly, so the series starts there. For the wider district, see the Parry Sound quarterly dataset back to 2010, or the Ontario Cottage Market Forecaster™ for the current directional read.
Lake Manitouwabing at a Glance
| Official name | Manitouwabing Lake. Most people say Lake Manitouwabing. |
|---|---|
| Municipalities | Township of McKellar and Municipality of McDougall, Parry Sound District |
| Surface area | 1,178 hectares (about 2,900 acres) |
| Shoreline | 117 km perimeter, plus 20.1 km of island shoreline |
| Depth | 33 m maximum, 5.6 m average |
| Water clarity | 2.4 m |
| Elevation | 245 m above sea level |
| Watershed | 400 km² (excluding the lake), draining to the Seguin River |
| Water levels | Regulated. The dam is owned and operated by Parry Sound Power Gen, and flows and levels are managed under the Seguin River Water Management Plan. |
| Shoreline development | High: shoreline residential, commercial and urban. About 5% Crown land and no provincial parks. |
| Public access | Four public boat launches. Access roads include Highway 124, Lakeshore Road, Lakeside Crescent and Centre Road (Fire Route 200). |
| Fisheries management | Fisheries Management Zone 15, with no lake-specific regulation exceptions. Not designated for lake trout management. |
| Major fish species | Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, lake whitefish, northern pike and black crappie. The bass, walleye and black crappie are introduced; the black crappie were first recorded in 2005. |
| Stocking | None now. Walleye were stocked from 1950 to 2010 and smallmouth bass from 1950 to 1966. |
| Other species recorded | Yellow perch, rock bass, pumpkinseed, cisco, brown bullhead, white sucker, common carp, creek chub, bluntnose minnow and eastern blacknose dace. Spiny water flea was first recorded in 2000. |
Source: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Lake Fact Sheet, Parry Sound District: Manitouwabing Lake (published 2010). Stocking, species and water clarity are as of that sheet and may have changed.
What This Means If You Are Buying
- A lake of bays, not a bowl. The deepest basins reach 33 m but the average depth is only 5.6 m, so much of the shoreline is shallow back bay. The deeper basins offer the preferred swimming and docking; the back bays are warmer and more biologically active. Ask to see both.
- Managed water. Levels are regulated by the dam rather than left to nature, so ask what the water does at the dock you are buying across the season.
- Close to town. Twelve miles from Parry Sound, with marinas, shopping, dining, healthcare and Highway 400, and the village of McKellar on the lake.
- Golf on the lake. The Ridge at Manitou, a championship course, adds lifestyle appeal for both seasonal and year-round owners.
- Room to boat. Miles of navigable water for cruising, paddling, fishing and watersports, with four public launches.
- A lake association that publishes its testing. The Manitouwabing Lake Community Association posts water-quality results by area, including blue-green algae.
- Prices. Cottage sales have ranged from $415,000 to $2.9M since 2020. So far in 2026 they have ranged from $570,000 to $1.9M, with a median of $970,000. Estate properties above $2M do sell, but they are the exception rather than the norm.
- Vacant lots. The MNR rates shoreline development as high, and vacant waterfront lots have become genuinely scarce: eighteen sold across 2020–21, only eight since, and one so far in 2026.
Lake Manitouwabing Cottages: Common Questions
How much do cottages cost on Lake Manitouwabing?
In 2026 so far, 15 cottages have sold on Lake Manitouwabing at a median of $970,000, ranging from $570,000 to $1,899,000, and buyers paid about 96% of the asking price. Since 2020, cottage sales on Lake Manitouwabing have ranged from $415,000 to $2.9 million. The full year-by-year record of actual sold prices is published on this page.
Have cottage prices on Lake Manitouwabing come down?
Yes, from the 2021 peak. In 2021 the median cottage price on Lake Manitouwabing was $1,400,000, with seventeen sales at about 105% of asking. In 2026 the median is $970,000 at about 96% of list, roughly 31% lower. Volumes are small, so read the direction across several years rather than any single figure.
How big and how deep is Lake Manitouwabing?
According to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Lake Manitouwabing covers 1,178 hectares (about 2,900 acres) and has a 117 km perimeter, plus another 20.1 km of island shoreline. The maximum depth is 33 metres but the average is only 5.6 metres, so much of the lake is shallow back bay, while the deeper basins offer the preferred swimming and docking. Water clarity is listed at 2.4 metres. Those figures are from the MNR lake fact sheet, published in 2010.
Is Lake Manitouwabing good for boating?
Yes. It is a large finger lake with miles of navigable water for cruising, paddling and watersports, and the MNR lists four public boat launches. You can also boat to the public docks at McKellar for the farmers' market.
What fish are in Lake Manitouwabing?
The MNR lists walleye, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, northern pike, lake whitefish and black crappie as the major species, with yellow perch, rock bass, pumpkinseed, cisco and others also present. The bass, walleye and black crappie are introduced species. Walleye were stocked from 1950 to 2010 and smallmouth bass from 1950 to 1966, and the lake is not stocked now. It sits in Fisheries Management Zone 15 with no lake-specific regulation exceptions, so check the current zone regulations before you fish.
How far is Lake Manitouwabing from Parry Sound?
About twelve miles. That puts marinas, shopping, dining, healthcare and Highway 400 within quick reach, and you can boat to the village of McKellar.
Is the water level on Lake Manitouwabing controlled?
Yes. The Hurdville dam is owned and operated by Parry Sound Power Gen, and flows and levels are managed under the Seguin River Water Management Plan, which regulates the seasonal water level. The shallow back bays are a result of the higher water the dam created, while the deeper basins offer the preferred swimming and docking conditions.
Is the water on Lake Manitouwabing tested?
Yes. The Manitouwabing Lake Community Association publishes water-quality testing results by area on its website, along with pages on blue-green algae, coliforms and E. coli, benthic monitoring, and water clarity and phosphorus.
Which municipality is Lake Manitouwabing in?
The Township of McKellar and the Municipality of McDougall, both in the Parry Sound District. MLS® listings on the lake appear under either name.
Are there vacant waterfront lots for sale on Lake Manitouwabing?
Vacant waterfront lots have become scarce. Eighteen sold across 2020 and 2021, only eight in the five years since, and one so far in 2026. The MNR rates shoreline development on the lake as high. Current listings are on this page, and sold figures for vacant land are reported separately from cottages.