Rawdon Lake Aquatic Tour

Self-guided Rawdon Lake Aquatic Tour with its eight points of interest.

Welcome to Rawdon Lake !

 

Designed as an educational, eco-friendly and accessible activity, this self-guided tour can be enjoyed by boat in the summer and on foot in the winter. It showcases Rawdon’s natural and cultural heritage in a peaceful and welcoming setting. 

An accessible tour

The route forms a loop around most of Rawdon Lake. In summer, it begins and ends at the boat launch located across from the “À la dérive” business (see the “Vous êtes ici” marker on the map). In winter, it begins and ends at the entrance to the ice rink on the lake.

The points of interest can be discovered by visiting this website.

The tour begins at the municipal beach, the first point of interest (point 1).

Practical information

The loop covers 4.1 km and typically takes 1 to 1.5 hours to complete. However, it can be done in several stages, depending on the visitors’ pace and interests. The points of interest are presented on the website. There are no signs identifying the points of interest on site.

Approximate distances between points of interest:

  • From the beach (point 1) to the resort area point of interest (point 2) = 537 metres 
  • From the resort area point of interest (point 2) to the four points around the dam bridge (points 3-4-5-6): 1,033 metres (1 kilometre)
  • From the dam bridge (points 3-4-5-6) to the golf course pier (point 7): 1,681 metres or 1.7 kilometres
  • From the golf course pier (point 7) to Nichol Park (point 8), then back to the starting point: 867 metres

 Exploring the points of interest

The QR code shown on the illustrated map of the lake located at the beach (see the "Vous êtes içi" (You are here) sign) provides access to a description, history and photographs of the following points of interest:

  1. The municipal beach
  2. The resort area
  3. The 3rd Avenue damth _
  4. The 3rd Avenue bridgeth _
  5. Mason Falls
  6. The mills
  7. The Golf Club
  8. Nichol Park
QR code shown on the illustrated map

Description of Rawdon Lake

Rawdon Lake begins at the small bridge on Lakeshore Drive, near Lucien-Godin Street, and ends at the dam bridge on 3rdth Avenue. The water flows from this first bridge toward the dam bridge.

Table 1: Marine Data Sheet —Rawdon Lake, Montcalm County, Rawdon Township, Official Marine Data Sheet 0814

The lake, which is 2.8 kilometres long, stretches on both sides of the Rouge River. At its widest point, it measures nearly 320 metres.

According to this bathymetric map dating from 1978 (1), the lake covers a total area of 50.2 hectares (124 acres) and is located at an elevation of 157.5 metres (550 feet above mean sea level).

The depth ranges from less than 1 metre upstream to nearly 4.5 metres downstream. Upstream from the beach, it is less than 3 metres deep. (2)

The lake was stocked with trout for four decades, until 2020. In the deepest parts of the lake, there are still a few trout that reach it via the Rouge River from Saint-Alphonse. Yellow perch, bass and pike are also found there.

On Rawdon Lake, only paddle boards, kayaks, canoes, pedal boats and boats with electric motors are permitted.

The association Amis et propriétaires riverains du Lac Rawdon de ses affluents(friends and property owners along Rawdon Lake and its tributaries), founded in 2012, helps maintain the lake’s water quality through its participation in the Réseau de surveillance volontaire des lacs (Network for the voluntary supervision of lakes).

A bit of history

Throughout the tour, you’ll learn about the history of Rawdon Lake and discover the importance of Rawdon’s waterways.

Before you begin your tour, here’s a summary of its history.

In the past, this area was primarily a fishing and hunting ground frequented by Indigenous peoples. Their settlements in Rawdon were located mainly near the Rouge and Ouareau rivers. Established on July 13, 1799, the Township of Rawdon takes its name from the British military officer Francis Rawdon-Hastings (3) (4).

With four rivers flowing through its territory, six waterfalls cascading down its rugged terrain and more than fifty lakes dotting the landscape, the township of Rawdon—now the municipality of Rawdon—boasts significant water resources.

Used for various purposes, such as building mills, generating electricity and supporting tourism, these water resources have proven to be a powerful driver of development.

As early as 1821, the map of Rawdon township, drawn by Surveyor Bouchette, identified the location of the future village centre (see Village plat). It is situated on a plateau between the Rouge and Ouareau rivers.

Between 1815 and 1820, several families, mostly Irish, came to settle in Rawdon township. Irish roots are still very much present in the community (5)

Agrandissement de la carte du Canton de Rawdon, Bouchette 1821 illustrant le Village Plat
Location of the “Village Plat” between the Rouge River and the Ouareau River.
Map of Rawdon township dated 1821 by Surveyor Joseph Bouchette Jr.

Starting in the early 20th century, tourism and vacationing contributed to a significant increase in Rawdon’s population, which had stabilized at around 1,000 people (6). Unofficial figures (7) from the 1970s estimated that Rawdon’s population could triple during vacation and holiday periods. Thus, the population of 4,060 recorded in the 1971 census could rise to as many as 12,000 people when including those staying in its hotels, campgrounds, summer camps and cottages as well as other visitors (8). For example, the Val-Pontbriand-sur-le-lac campground alone could accommodate up to 300 families, or just over a thousand people. In 2026, the municipality has approximately 13,124 residents (9). The proportion of non-residents is lower, however, due to the conversion of cottages and second homes into primary residences.

 

Several other aspects of Rawdon’s history are presented on the website histoirederawdon.ca.

A collaborative effort

This tour was made possible thanks to the collaboration of several partners and was officially opened during the Canada Day celebrations on July 1, 2026.

Project coordination :

Société d'histoire de Rawdon

Design and research :

Amis et propriétaires riverains du Lac Rawdon et de ses affluents (Friends and property owners along Rawdon Lake and its tributaries)

  • Manon Lacharité
  • Pierre Landry
  • France Pontbriand

Collège Champagneur

  • Grade 11 students, history class
  • Rosalie Lafleur-Raymond, history teacher

Création Unimage

  • Geneviève Champoux 

Municipality of Rawdon

  • Andréanne Goulet

Société d’histoire de Rawdon :

  • Michel Léonard
  • France Pontbriand

Studio Julie-Cossette

  • Julie Cossette 

 

Content contributors

  • André Neveu
  • André Tessier, Société d’histoire de Rawdon
  • Anick Perreault, Rawdon Golf Resort
  • Benoit Chevrier, Centre d’interprétation de l’eau
  • Beverly Blagrave Prud’homme
  • Daniel Parkinson, Société d’histoire de Rawdon
  • Daniel Rémy, Société d’histoire de Rawdon
  • Denise Perreault-Breault, Société d’histoire de Rawdon
  • Diane Mailhot, Société d’histoire de Rawdon
  • Guillaume Petit, Société d’histoire de Rawdon
  • Guylène Ethier, Société d’histoire de Rawdon
  • Hélène Cantin, Société d’histoire de Rawdon
  • Henri Tessier, Société d’histoire de Rawdon
  • Luc Bouliane, Municipalité de Rawdon
  • Michel Roberge, Société d’histoire de Rawdon
  • Stéphanie Laurent, Municipalité de Rawdon

Language editing and translation

  • Nathalie Longpré, editing, Société d’histoire de Rawdon
  • Valérie Dezelac, editing
  • Victoria Locke, translation, Société d’histoire de Rawdon

Graphic design

Création Unimage

  • Geneviève Champoux

Julie Cossette Studio

  • Julie Cossette

For further information:

Email: info@histoirederawdon.ca

Phone: 514-605-6809

Rawdon Lake and municipal beach, photo : Société d’histoire de Rawdon

Sources

  1. Roy, P.-A., ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les Changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP), Lac Rawdon, comté de Montcalm, Canton de Rawdon, fiche marine officielle 0814. 
  2. Bertrand, Pierre. Avis technique — Lac Rawdon. Municipalité de Rawdon, p. 4, 7 et 30-31. Website accessed May 22, 2025, URL : https://rawdon.ca/storage/app/media/loisirs-culture/parcs-et-infrastructures/avis_technique_Lac_Rawdon_Final.pdf , p. 4, 30-31
  1. Fournier, Marcel. Rawdon : 175 ans d'histoire. Joliette, 1974, pp. 15–16. Website accessed May 23, 2026. URL: https://www.histoirederawdon.ca/rawdon-175-ans-dhistoire/
  2. Fournier, Marcel. Rawdon : 175 ans d'histoire. Joliette, 1974, p. 25. Website accessed May 23, 2026, URL: https://www.histoirederawdon.ca/rawdon-175-ans-dhistoire/
  3. Fournier, Marcel. Rawdon : 175 ans d'histoire" Joliette, 1974, p. 49, Website accessed May 23, 2026, URL: https://www.histoirederawdon.ca/rawdon-175-ans-dhistoire/
  4. Le Devoir, jeudi le 4 mai 1978, p. 29 – La région Lanaudière publiera bientôt un annuaire industriel, Thursday, May 4, 1978 - Website accessed June 22, 2026, https://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/2775958
  5. Société d’histoire de Rawdon. The Origins of Rawdon.. Website accessed May 4, 2026. URL: https://www.histoirederawdon.ca/les-origines-de-rawdon/
  6. Histoire de Rawdon, Les recensements, Website accessed June 2, 2026, URL:https://www.histoirederawdon.ca/recensements-de-la-population-de-rawdon
  7. Municipality of Rawdon. Portrait de la municipalité [Municipality profile].Website accessed May 23, 2026. URL: https://rawdon.ca/fr/municipalite/information/portrait-de-la-municipalite
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