Massasauga: Spider Lake/Georgian Bay Loop (4 days / 24 km)
This was a great trip; the weather was perfect, the fishing was some of the best I’ve experienced in some time and Massasauga leaves a great deal to be explored. Both Spider Lake and Clear Lake are within the park’s Wilderness Management Zone, which makes up 25% of Massasauga Provinical Park’s total area, so there are no motorized vehicles. These lakes are gems! There are several lakes within the park that are ‘inland’ as a good deal of the park and the sites therein are located on Georgian Bay in protected bays and inlets.
This trip goes from the inland wilderness area of Spider and Clear lakes to Georgian Bay and back in a tight little 3 night/4 day loop using different portages to access unique parts of Georgian Bay and both inland lakes.
There are no retracing portages on this loop, however, one will be paddling part of Spider Lake back to the original portage at the starting point. Massasauga offers experiences to those who enjoy peaceful, wilderness-style camping in the inland portion and those who also enjoy the Georgian Bay culture of sailboats, cruisers, and even small craft. I have taken my small aluminum motorboat into Massasauga from ‘Pete’s Place,’ the ‘bayside’ access point to the park located in the southwest corner near the Moon River.
As a paddler, one can enjoy both inland and bayside sites, both are equally beautiful and offer unique experiences.
Trip Completed: July 2022
Trip Summary
| Starting Point | Oastler (Three Legged Lake) Access Point |
| Ending Point | Oastler (Three Legged Lake) Access Point |
| Duration | 4 days / 3 nights |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Total Distance | 24 km |
| Portaging Distance | 1150 m |
| Number of Portages | 6 |
Location: Massasauga Provincial Park – Near Parry Sound
Traditional Territory: This route takes place on the traditional territory of Massasauga.
Maps & Resources
Guidebook: A guidebook was not needed.
Map: Massasauga Map, waterproof, of course!
Permits & Reservations
Campsite Reservations: Yes, book through the Ontario Parks Reservation System. Reservations are for a specific campsite.
Permits: Permits can be picked up at Oastler Lake Provincial Park on the way to the access point. Note: There is no parks office or attendant at the Three Legged Lake Access Point. All permits, maps, and info must be obtained at Oasler Lake Provincial Park on the way to the access point.
Know Before You Go
Season: Spring/Summer/Fall
Cell Reception: Yes, though it was spotty. I could reach out when I needed to.
Water: Water can be boiled, filtered, or tablet added.
Wildlife: There are black bears, however, I have been there 4 times and have only seen one that fell out of a tree from at least 30 feet! Bear was fine. Some campsites on the Georgian Bay side have locking metal Bear Boxes as these sites are used by pleasure boaters also.
Waste: There is a garbage and recycling area for used canisters at Oasler Lake on your way out from Three-Legged Lake to Highway 69.
Outfitters & Shuttles
I used my own gear. Swift Prospector 14 and an Amok Draumr 5.0 hammock.
Outfitter: Oastler Park offers Kevlar canoe rentals, life jackets, and paddles.
Shuttle: A shuttle was not needed, and there is ample parking at the Three Legged Lake Access Point.
Trip Report
Day 1: Three Legged Lake to Spider Lake (6 km)
This route starts at Three Legged Lake, one of two official inland launch/access points in the park. There is ample parking and this is a cottage lake you will need to paddle through to get to Spider Lake and the rest of the park. There is a boat launch area and a dock. See the video link for the access point visual.
The portage to Spider Lake is 370 m and fairly relaxed, there are a few boardwalks over streams and the Three Legged side is a beach entrance. The exit onto Spider Lake is also an inviting sand beach, making it simple to load and launch.
Keep right after the launch and you will go through a narrow channel between the island. I have always been able to paddle this, however, in low water, you will have to go to the west side of the island and out to the remainder of beautiful Spider Lake.
Both Spider Lake and Clear Lake are within the parks’ Wilderness Management Zone, so there are no motorized vehicles. Most campsites on Spider Lake are great, however, there are very few duds. If you are lucky enough to book ahead on Campsite #17 or #16, they are situated high off the water and present some excellent west-facing vistas for sunsets.
From there I fished the north shore of the island in the evening and caught a few small pike and roused some bass to topwater, had a beaver that splashed me a few times, and saw many loons and a great blue heron. I retired with a fire and a great sleep!
Campsite: Spider Lake #12 – Nice views, rock access, but easy in and out of the canoe, plenty of room, a little poison ivy near the fire! Leaves of Three, Leave it Be!’ Thunderbox.
| Total Distance | 6 |
| Portaging Distance | 370 m |
| Number of Portages | 1 |
| Campsite Reservation | Reservation by Site: #12 – Spider Lake |
Day 2: Spider Lake to Georgian Bay, Cow Island (7 km)
Woke up and planned to fish my way to my next site on the ‘Bay Side’ of the park. The park has several interior lakes, however, what makes this park special is that a good chunk of Georgian Bay is within park boundaries and there are some AMAZING campsites nestled into bays, on islands, and archipelagos.
Note: You will encounter pleasure boats and motor boats in this area, check the map for areas that do not permit overnight mooring for larger vessels if you want privacy.
The pike fishing was unbelievable; this is a healthy lake and a healthy fishery, producing 25-28 inch pike regularly. I was using a Rapala Husky Jerk, silver blue and orange and it really produced. I did not keep any on this trip as fishing coincided with portaging and I don’t like carrying fish across portages. See the video for footage of fishing. There are two main bodies of water on Spider Lake, although not specified on the map, North Spider and South Spider, separated by a fairly narrow channel as you travel south.
Portage from Spider Lake to Clear Bay (780 m): The portage entrance from Spider Lake to Georgian Bay (Clear Bay) is somewhat challenging; I put the boat parallel to shore and unloaded it that way. The portage is straightforward: wide, with several boardwalks and light, rolling hills, and a beach at the portage exit for easy loading.
Now I was on the expansive Georgian Bay! I got back in the boat and started casting around a rock shoal surrounded with weeds and hooked into a pike immediately with a large musky that followed the smaller fish to the boat.
Fishing died out and I paddled to Campsite #206 on Cow Island. This is a great site with a beach, and accessible shoreline rocks for sitting and watching the stars or dinner. There is a table and a great fire pit. I cooked dinner, watched the stars, and swung away in the hammock to sleep.
Campsite: #206 – One of the best sites in the park, sand beach, tent pads, solid fire pit and picnic table, great swimming and exploring. Thunderbox.
| Total Distance | 7 |
| Portaging Distance | 780 m |
| Number of Portages | 1 |
| Campsite Reservation | Reservation by Site: #206 – Inner Bay |
Day 3: Cow Island to Spider Lake via Clear Lake, Frog Pond (5 km)
I left the campsite a little late after a sleep-in and headed to Vanderdassen Bay to the portage to Clear Lake (475 m). You follow a small stream leading to portage. Many deer flies. Many! The portage trail is beautiful with diverse forest and flora.
The portage exit is a little tricky, but manageable. Paddling through Clear Lake, I felt a significant wilderness connection. I saw a bear fall from a tree and was dive-bombed by a group of terns nesting on a small chain of Islands.
I stopped for lunch and caught an 18-inch Smallmouth Bass then headed to the first small portage (165 m) into a small, but beautiful lake lined with weeds and lily pads. I caught a few pike very easily and made a quick paddle across the lake to the last portage onto Spider Lake (90 m) and back into Spider Lake and onto Campsite #22.
Campsite: Spider Clear Lake #22 – Good site with plenty of room, a picnic table, a lakeside fire pit, and rocks for chilling. This site comes equipped with its own giant snapping turtle (see video).
| Total Distance | 5 |
| Portaging Distance | 730 m |
| Number of Portages | 3 |
| Campsite Reservation | Reservation by Site: #22 – Spider Clear Lake |
Day 4: Spider Lake to Three Legged Lake (6 km)
I woke early, had breakfast, and headed through Spider Lake. I stopped and caught a few pike on the way out, did a relaxed portage from Spider Lake to Three Legged Lake (370 m) with a light load, and a casual paddle across Three Legged Lake to the access point.
| Total Distance | 6 |
| Portaging Distance | 370 m |
| Number of Portages | 1 |
| Campsite Reservation | N/A |
Reflections
This route is very manageable and you can replace site #206 with 10 or so sites in that particular area if you are interested in this loop. Campsite photos are available for each site through Ontario Parks Reservations and you book the sites individually, unlike Algonquin Provincial Park.
This is a beautiful route for anyone who has a few trips under their belt and wants to practise a 3-day pack up and go with light distances to travel between and portages that are not challenging.
There are several sites on Georgian Bay, though please pay attention to weather, wind, and forecasts for Georgian Bay; waves can get intense and weather can turn quickly. A good deal of the campsites on the bay are protected in small bays and I have not had any problems navigating and traveling this part of the park.
Enjoy this route. Please contact me if you have any questions; check the video and leave a comment!
Trip Video
Author Bio
Matt is an all-around outdoor enthusiast! He hails from Guelph, ON where he spends his time fly fishing, gardening, cooking, and Guiding for The Tripshed and the Pine River Institute. Outside city limits, Matt can be found pursuing wilderness experiences in Ontario’s North, logging countless days in the backcountry with friends and family, clients, or on solo trips.
With a degree in Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Tourism and a Bachelor of Education, Matt’s passion for deep ecology and natural history fuels his curiosity of aquatic and terrestrial environments. Matt enjoys mentoring people of all ages in the outdoors sharing the knowledge he has accumulated over the past 30 years in the Canadian wilderness.
Instagram: @fieldguideoutdoors
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