Living in Windermere, Muskoka

Where Windermere sits

Windermere is in the Township of Muskoka Lakes, on Lake Rosseau. The Township’s history page says Windermere House overlooked Lake Rosseau and it places the original post office at the mouth of the Dee River. The Township covers 781.6 km2 and has 80 lakes. It surrounds Lakes Muskoka, Rosseau and Joseph.

This site carries no price figures, so there is nothing here on what Windermere properties cost. Ask Kirby through the contact page for current listings or a value.

Lake and public water access

The Township lists two public docks at Windermere, both on Lake Rosseau: 1007 Maple Leaf Bay Rd, also listed as the Maple Leaf Bay Dock public wharf and 2510 Windermere Rd, listed as the Windermere Wharf public wharf. No Windermere boat launch is on the Township list. Two parks are listed: Four Mile Point Park and Windermere Park. No Windermere trail is on the Township trails page.

Lake levels in the Township are controlled by dams in Port Carling and Bala and the MNRF makes the operational dam decisions.

Docks, boathouses and septic

These are Township of Muskoka Lakes rules from Zoning By-law 2014-14 (consolidated February 2023) and the Official Plan. For a dock on a lot with frontage under 61 m (200 ft) in a Waterfront zone, Table 4.1.7 sets a minimum side yard of 9.1 m (30 ft) and a maximum length of 20.1 m (66 ft). Maximum width is a share of frontage that depends on lake class and the class for Lake Rosseau was not confirmed. A boathouse may be up to 15.2 m (50 ft) long and 4.9 m (16 ft) high with no floor, with no habitable floor area. Its side yard is 9.1 m for one storey and 13.7 m for two storeys or a sundeck roof. Confirm for the specific lot with the Township.

For septic, section 3.46 of the by-law says a leaching bed distribution pipe on a lot abutting or adjacent to the high water mark is not to be within 30 m (100 ft) of it. A replacement or enlargement may use the existing setback or a minimum of 15 m (50 ft) and the full conditions were not read. The Official Plan does not permit a tile bed within 30 m (100 ft) of the waterbody. Confirm for the specific lot with the Township.

Roads and services

Highway 141 and Muskoka Road routes at Windermere were not confirmed. The Township lists library branches in Port Carling and Bala only and the District lists no paramedic station in Windermere. No transit service naming Windermere was found.

Taxes and permits

The Township of Muskoka Lakes 2026 total residential rate is 0.01000329 per dollar of assessment, about $10.00 per $1,000 of assessment. The Township reports an approved 2023 Official Plan that is under appeal, so ask which plan applies to a lot.

What to check before you buy

• The lake class and the dock side yard, length and width allowed on the lot.
• Whether an existing boathouse meets the length, height and side yard limits.
• The septic distance from the high water mark and the system’s age and inspection history.
• Which Official Plan provisions apply while the 2023 plan is under appeal.
• Who maintains the road to the property.

For waterfront buying steps, read the waterfront and cottages guide. Nearby communities: Port Carling and Rosseau.