Bass Lake Real Estate, Oro-Medonte Waterfront

Bass Lake Real Estate

Bass Lake is a shallow, warm-water lake in the Township of Oro-Medonte, west of Orillia (Severn Sound Environmental Association, 2019). The Severn Sound Environmental Association gives it a surface area of 5.5 square kilometres, a maximum depth of 10 metres and an average depth of 3.5 metres (Severn Sound Environmental Association, 2019).

This guide covers what is for sale on the lake right now and what to check before you buy waterfront here: who controls the water level, how close you can build, and which permits shoreline work needs. Kimberly lives in Orillia and owns waterfront herself.

Homes for sale on Bass Lake

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Listings in Oro-Medonte where the MLS® System records Bass Lake as the water body, updated as listings change. A listing entered without a water body will not appear here, so search all waterfront in Oro-Medonte as well. Registered clients also see sold prices and more listing details.

The lake and its shorelines

The lake has about 11 kilometres of shoreline and is fed by groundwater and surface water, with several permanent and intermittent streams flowing in (Severn Sound Environmental Association, 2019). It drains through the North River at its northwest end (Severn Sound Environmental Association, 2019). Bass Lake Provincial Park is on the southeast shore, about four kilometres west of Orillia (Government of Ontario, 2021).

A small stop-log dam at the outlet to the North River regulates the water level. The Bass Lake Ratepayers Association manages it, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry sets the water level limits (Severn Sound Environmental Association, 2019). Stop logs are put in place in the spring and removed in the fall, or as needed (Severn Sound Environmental Association, 2019).

The Severn Sound Environmental Association, a joint municipal service board, monitors the lake and posts conditions updates through the season (Severn Sound Environmental Association, n.d.-a, n.d.-b).

Which municipality a property sits in also matters day to day: it sets the zoning, issues building permits, and sets the municipal share of property tax. On Bass Lake that is the Township of Oro-Medonte.

What to check before you buy on Bass Lake

Lake waterfront here comes with provincial, conservation authority and township rules that an inland home rarely raises. These are the ones Kimberly works through with every Bass Lake buyer, early, before conditions run out.

Where the lot ends

In Ontario, the beds of most lakes and rivers are Crown land (Government of Ontario, 2026). Your lawyer, and a surveyor where needed, should confirm exactly where the property ends and whether any road allowance runs along the shore before you firm up.

How close you can build

Oro-Medonte’s zoning by-law sets buildings and structures, other than boathouses and pumphouses, back 15 metres from the average high water mark of Bass Lake (Township of Oro-Medonte, 2026). Buildings that existed when the by-law took effect may be expanded or replaced inside that setback, as long as the work does not reduce the setback or add volume or floor area in a minimum required yard (Township of Oro-Medonte, 2026). Confirm the current zoning for the specific lot with the Township.

Docks, boathouses and shoreline work

A provincial work permit may be needed for a structure in physical contact with more than 15 square metres of shore lands that are Crown land or close to Crown land; a floating structure does not count as being in contact (Government of Ontario, 2026). The zoning by-law allows a boathouse at the average high water mark of Bass Lake, with its width limited to 30 percent of the lot width at that mark and no human habitation, kitchen or sanitary facilities (Township of Oro-Medonte, 2026).

Conservation authority approvals

The Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority has a planning role in the northern portions of Springwater and Oro-Medonte (Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority, n.d.-a), and in its regulated areas, development near rivers, streams, ponds and wetlands may need its approval (Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority, n.d.-b). Its online map shows its regulated areas (Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority, n.d.-c). Before you plan a dock, shoreline wall, addition or new septic system, confirm with the authority and the municipality whether any approval applies to the lot.

Water quality

The 2018 conditions report rated water quality good and improving, and water clarity fair to good (Severn Sound Environmental Association, 2019). On October 2, 2025, the Township posted a Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit blue-green algae advisory for Bass Lake (Township of Oro-Medonte, 2025). Ask about the water source and include water testing in your conditions.

Septic systems

Oro-Medonte runs a septic maintenance program with a five-year inspection cycle for properties near the Lake Simcoe shoreline and its tributaries and near municipal wells (Township of Oro-Medonte, n.d.). Ask the Township whether a Bass Lake property is included. Ask for permit and inspection records, and make inspection and water testing part of your conditions.

Kimberly is a REALTOR®, not a lawyer, surveyor or permitting authority. This checklist is a starting point for your own due diligence with those professionals and agencies.

On and around the lake

Bass Lake Provincial Park

Ontario Parks lists a sandy swimming beach, one boat launch, docks, canoe and kayak rentals and 182 car camping sites, 90 of them with electrical service, at 2540 Bass Lake Sideroad East (Ontario Parks, n.d.).

Speed near shore

On Ontario waters, power-driven and electric boats are limited to 10 km/h within 30 metres of shore, with set exceptions (Government of Canada, n.d.).

Services nearby

Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital is at 170 Colborne Street West in Orillia (Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital, n.d.).

Thinking about Bass Lake?

Kimberly helps buyers compare frontage, exposure, water depth, access and shoreline permits, and helps owners price Bass Lake waterfront using recent sales. She owns waterfront herself, so she knows the questions from both sides.

Based in Orillia · Serving Simcoe County, Georgian Bay & Muskoka · Oro-Medonte community guide

Questions people ask about Bass Lake

Where is Bass Lake?

Bass Lake is in the Township of Oro-Medonte, west of Orillia. Bass Lake Provincial Park is on its southeast shore.

Who controls the water level on Bass Lake?

A small stop-log dam at the outlet to the North River. The Bass Lake Ratepayers Association manages it, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry sets the water level limits.

How big and deep is Bass Lake?

The Severn Sound Environmental Association gives a surface area of 5.5 square kilometres, a maximum depth of 10 metres and an average depth of 3.5 metres.

How close to Bass Lake can I build?

Oro-Medonte’s zoning by-law sets buildings and structures, other than boathouses and pumphouses, back 15 metres from the average high water mark of Bass Lake. Confirm the current zoning for the specific lot with the Township.

Do I need a permit for shoreline work on Bass Lake?

Possibly more than one. A provincial work permit may be needed for structures in physical contact with more than 15 square metres of Crown shore lands, and the Township has its own permits. Confirm with the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority whether the lot is in one of its regulated areas.