Mary Lake
South Huntsville's Serene Retreat — Deep Water, Eight Islands, and Real Value
$600K – $3M+
Port Sydney (on south end), Huntsville (12 km north), Bracebridge (35 min south), Utterson (10 min southeast)
Named by surveyor Alexander Murray in 1853 after his daughter Mary Ellen, Mary Lake is the southernmost of the four connected Huntsville chain lakes. Its eight islands — including Crown Island ('Place of the Great Otter' in Anishinaabe) — give the lake a distinctive archipelago character unusual for its 1,065-hectare size.
Mary Lake covers 1,065.5 hectares with a maximum depth of 56.3 m and mean depth of 24.6 m — deeper than Lake Vernon and with cleaner water. Water levels are managed by an MNR dam at Port Sydney Falls where the North Muskoka River exits the lake southward. Fish species include lake trout, smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, lake whitefish, and brook trout — one of the most diverse fisheries in the chain. The Muskoka Bible Centre on the north shore (established 1931) occupies a significant portion of lake frontage with institutional zoning.
- Terminal lake of the Huntsville chain before the river exits at Port Sydney Falls — monitor accumulated nutrient levels via the Mary Lake Association's active water quality monitoring
- Port Sydney village provides grocery, gas, and postal services within 5 minutes of most lakefront properties
- Two island passages less than 1 m deep at low-water — navigating the archipelago requires local knowledge
- Quietest and least-publicized of the Huntsville chain — lower price-per-foot than Fairy Lake or Vernon for equivalent depth and fishing quality
What Seth Watches for on Mary Lake
The MNR dam at Port Sydney controls water levels under the Muskoka River Water Management Plan — the operating range varies up to 0.6 m seasonally; fixed dock structures must be engineered to the regulated operating range, not just current-year water level.
A 2019 subdivision proposal at 553 South Mary Lake Road (29 lots) raised concerns about shared aquifer drawdown — properties near approved or pending subdivisions on the south shore should commission a hydrogeological assessment before drilling a new well.
The Muskoka Bible Centre occupies a significant portion of the north shore — confirm no expansion plans or intensification applications are pending before purchasing adjacent residential lots.
Mary Lake's eight islands include both private seasonal cottages and unoccupied Crown islands — Crown islands can be leased by boaters overnight and cannot be acquired; understand this before purchasing adjacent properties.
What areas does Seth serve?
Seth specializes in cottage properties across Lake Muskoka, Lake Rosseau, Lake Joseph, and surrounding areas including Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Port Carling, and Huntsville.
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