Rice Lake Ontario Canada, part of the Trent Severn Waterway is widely known for an abundance of fish species that thrive in the shallow, weedy lake.

Rice Lake Ontario Canada, part of the Trent Severn Waterway is widely known for an abundance of fish species that thrive in the shallow, weedy lake.

Rice Lake Ontario Canada is located in the south central part of the province and has a long history. The lake is part of the Trent Severn Waterway, which connects to the lake through the Otonabee and Trent Rivers. The lake is 32 km long and 5 km wide.Rice Lake boarders the very eastern most end of the Oak Ridges Moraine. The lake is fairly shallow and was named for the wild rice that grew in it and was harvested by native people of the area. Most of the extensive stands of wild rice originally found in the lake were wiped out when water levels were raised in the lake during the construction of the waterway.

The village of Bewdley is located at the West end of the lake while the town of Hastings sits on the East. Prehistoric native burial mounds where found at Serpent Mounds on the north shore of the lake. Other places of interest on the lake include the First Nation communities of Alderville and Hiawatha. Other villages on Rice Lake include Keene, Roseneath, Baliboro, Gores Landing and Harwood.

The Cobourg and Peterborough Railway was completed in 1854 and crossed Rice Lake from Harwood to Hiawatha. However, thick layers of ice that cover the lake in the winter damaged the bridge beyond repair and it was declared unsafe and closed within six years. Sections of the railway bed are still clearly visible on the lake between the Harwood dock and Tic Island. In the late 1800’s, steamboats provided passenger service on the lake.