Lake Simcoe Real Estate, Waterfront Homes

Lake Simcoe Real Estate

Lake Simcoe covers about 722 square kilometres and is part of the Trent-Severn Waterway (Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, n.d.-c). Within Kimberly’s service area its shoreline runs through the City of Barrie on Kempenfelt Bay, the Township of Oro-Medonte, the south end of Orillia and the Township of Ramara. At the Atherley Narrows the lake flows into Lake Couchiching, and from there toward Georgian Bay (Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, n.d.-c).

This guide covers what is for sale on the lake right now and what to check before you buy waterfront here: the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan’s shoreline rules, which permits shoreline work needs, and how the water level is managed. Kimberly lives in Orillia and owns waterfront herself.

Homes for sale on Lake Simcoe

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Listings in Barrie, Oro-Medonte, Orillia and Ramara where the MLS® System records Lake Simcoe as the water body, updated as listings change. A listing recorded under a bay name, such as Kempenfelt Bay, may not appear here. A listing entered without a water body will not appear here, so search all waterfront in Barrie, Oro-Medonte, Orillia and Ramara as well. Registered clients also see sold prices and more listing details.

The lake and its shorelines

Kempenfelt Bay, at Barrie, is the deepest part of Lake Simcoe, reaching about 42 metres near its mouth (City of Barrie, n.d.; Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, n.d.-c). East of Barrie, Oro-Medonte has about 40 kilometres of Lake Simcoe shoreline (Township of Oro-Medonte, n.d.-c). Orillia’s Lake Simcoe frontage includes Kitchener Park at the bottom of West Street (City of Orillia, n.d.), and Ramara’s shoreline runs east from the Narrows, with four township boat launches on the lake (Township of Ramara, n.d.-b).

Two layers of rules apply to almost every Lake Simcoe waterfront lot. The Lake Simcoe Protection Plan, in effect since June 2, 2009, sets shoreline protection policies around the whole lake (Government of Ontario, n.d.-d, 2009), and the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority regulates development near the shoreline and other hazards (Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, n.d.-a). Parks Canada manages the lake’s water level as part of the Trent-Severn Waterway (Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, n.d.-b).

Which municipality a property sits in also matters day to day: it sets the zoning, the building and septic permits, and the property tax rate. Barrie, Oro-Medonte, Orillia and Ramara each have their own rules.

What to check before you buy on Lake Simcoe

Lake Simcoe waterfront comes with provincial, conservation authority and municipal rules that an inland home never raises. These are the ones Kimberly works through with every Lake Simcoe buyer, early, before conditions run out.

The shoreline protection zone

The Lake Simcoe Protection Plan sets a minimum vegetation protection zone of 30 metres from the shoreline in shoreline built-up areas and 100 metres elsewhere outside settlement areas, and it limits new structures in that zone to cases with no alternative (Government of Ontario, 2009). Ask the municipality how the Plan applies to the lot before you plan an addition, a new build or a new structure near the water.

Conservation authority permits and hazard mapping

The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority issues permits under Ontario Regulation 41/24 for structures, grading and fill in regulated areas (Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, n.d.-a). Its shoreline hazard study adopts a 100-year lake level of 219.50 metres plus an allowance for wave uprush, and a 15-metre erosion allowance (W.F. Baird & Associates, 2024). Check the lot on the authority’s regulation mapping (Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, n.d.-d).

Docks and shoreline work

The conservation authority suggests contacting it before any shoreline work, and notes that the municipality, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Fisheries and Oceans Canada may also need to approve it (Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, n.d.-e). Ontario may require a work permit for structures in contact with more than 15 square metres of shore lands (Government of Ontario, n.d.-a). Lake Simcoe is not on Parks Canada’s list of waterbodies under its jurisdiction for in-water works; the channels joining it to the waterway are (Parks Canada, 2007). Ask whether existing docks and shoreline walls were permitted.

Where the lot ends

Where private ownership stops on a given lot, and whether there is a road allowance or public land along the water, is confirmed by a title search. Your lawyer, and a surveyor where needed, should confirm it before you firm up.

Septic and water systems

Outside municipal services, a private septic system comes with the property. Oro-Medonte runs mandatory septic maintenance inspections, including for systems within 100 metres of the Lake Simcoe shoreline (Township of Oro-Medonte, n.d.-b), and Ramara’s reinspection program covers properties within 100 metres of the shoreline on a five-year cycle (Township of Ramara, n.d.-a). Ask for permit and inspection records, and make inspection and water testing part of your conditions.

Water level through the season

Parks Canada lowers Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching each fall following a guideline called a rule curve, to leave room for winter snowmelt and precipitation (Parks Canada, n.d.-a). If boat access matters to you, look at depth at the dock late in the season, not only in June.

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

Boating the waterway

From Lake Simcoe, boaters head north through the Narrows and Lake Couchiching to Lock 42 at Severn Bridge and on toward Georgian Bay (Parks Canada, n.d.-d). To the east, Lock 41 Gamebridge, near Beaverton, leads toward Trenton (Parks Canada, n.d.-c). In 2026 the locks run from May 15 to October 12 (Parks Canada, n.d.-b).

Beaches and launches

Barrie maintains Centennial, Johnson’s, Minet’s Point and Tyndale beaches on Kempenfelt Bay, plus a marina and the Tiffin Boat Launch (City of Barrie, n.d.). Oro-Medonte lists boat launches, wharves and beaches along its shoreline (Township of Oro-Medonte, n.d.-a), and Ramara has four boat launches on the lake (Township of Ramara, n.d.-b).

Fishing and ice fishing

Lake Simcoe has its own rules within Fisheries Management Zone 16, including set seasons for lake trout and lake whitefish and a year-round closure for muskellunge (Government of Ontario, n.d.-b). Ice huts must be registered and removed by March 15, and ice is never a uniform thickness (Government of Ontario, n.d.-c).

Services nearby

Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre is at 201 Georgian Drive in Barrie (Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, n.d.), and Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital is at 170 Colborne Street West in Orillia (Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital, n.d.).

Thinking about Lake Simcoe?

Kimberly helps buyers compare frontage, exposure, water depth and shoreline rules, and helps owners price Lake Simcoe 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 · Barrie community guide

Questions people ask about Lake Simcoe

Where is Lake Simcoe waterfront in Kimberly’s area?

Within Kimberly’s service area, Lake Simcoe shoreline runs through the City of Barrie on Kempenfelt Bay, the Township of Oro-Medonte, the south end of Orillia and the Township of Ramara. At the Atherley Narrows the lake flows into Lake Couchiching.

What is the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan?

It is an Ontario plan under the Lake Simcoe Protection Act, in effect since June 2, 2009. Among other things, it sets a minimum vegetation protection zone of 30 metres from the shoreline in shoreline built-up areas and 100 metres elsewhere outside settlement areas, and limits new structures in that zone. The municipality can tell you how it applies to a specific lot.

Do I need a permit to build a dock on Lake Simcoe?

Often more than one. The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority suggests contacting it before any shoreline work, and approvals may also be needed from the municipality, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Ontario may require a work permit for structures in contact with more than 15 square metres of shore lands. Check with each authority before you buy if a dock or boathouse matters to you.

Who controls the water level on Lake Simcoe?

Parks Canada manages the water level as part of the Trent-Severn Waterway. Each fall, Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching are lowered following a guideline called a rule curve, which leaves room for winter snowmelt and precipitation.

Can you boat from Lake Simcoe to Georgian Bay?

Yes. Boats travel north through the Atherley Narrows and Lake Couchiching to Lock 42 at Severn Bridge, then down the Severn River to Georgian Bay. In 2026 the Trent-Severn locks run from May 15 to October 12.