Mississippi Lakes Association

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Carleton Place, ON
Mississippi Lakes Association

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https://www.mlakes.org/about-us For as long as anyone can remember, the locals have spoken of four different sections of the lake as separate "lakes".

OUR NAME...
You might have noticed that there is only one Lake Mississippi on the map, although we call ourselves the Mississippi LAKES Association. They each have unique topography, charm, and character. First Lake starts at the Highway 7 bridge at Carleton Place and ends at the first narrowing off Lake Park;

Second Lake is the wide section of the lake from Lake Park to the narrows starting off Kings Bay;

The Narrows continue from there until the lake widens again off Black Bass Bay; and

The Big Lake is the deepest and largest part of the lake, ending at the Highway 7 bridge at Innisville. And so the mystery is solved. We find it convenient to speak of these four "lakes", and trust that you too will come to know and enjoy them by their informal names. Have fun out there - whichever lake you happen to be on!

10/04/2026

Busy weekend of fishing and hunting on Mississippi Lake. The Saturday fishing tournament attracted 35 boats to the Carleton Place boat launch, with perhaps a few lake residents as well. In the spring and autumn, tournaments are less intrusive than in summer, as they don't compete for space with many other boaters, paddlers or swimmers.
Hunting season is also underway in our zone (Wildlife Management Unit 64A) until early January. It begins exactly half an hour before sunrise, especially on weekends. The targets are mainly ducks and geese, which are abundant on the lake.
https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/migratory-game-bird-hunting/regulations-provincial-territorial-summaries/ontario.html

09/18/2026

Cormorant numbers have grown on our lake this year, especially roosting on Loon Island in Big Lake. The birds produce an enormous amount acidic droppings, or guano, which kills vegetation and can impact human health. They also eat a significant quantity of small fish.
Noise and visual deterrents can move cormorants away, but probably just to another island. There is also a provincial hunting season each autumn, provided hunters are licensed, limit their catch to 15 per day, and dispose of all carcasses.
The MLA and volunteers have begun monitoring cormorant numbers and movements, also taking regular water quality samples. Our ongoing objective is to protect the health and ecological balance of Mississippi Lake. Read more:
www.mlakes.org

08/24/2026

Now that our lake level has dropped back to normal, our docks can go back to their normal function as well.

08/15/2026

High water flowing through the Mississippi this month! Our lake finally peaked a few days ago and is now dropping. Good news at last for docks and shorelines. Now if we could just do something about all the waves. We'll have to see whether the lake drops enough this season, for docks to go back where they belong!
This photo was taken from the MVCA Carleton Place dam, with Town Hall in the background. The dam is not able to "control" our lake levels, but just maintain a minimum level during dry summers & autumns. It's the shallow and narrow river through town that prevents our lake from draining quickly downstream.

08/09/2026

Many of our lakeshore docks are underwater this weekend. And unfortunately the lake levels are still rising!
Because of all the rain, we currently have record high water levels for August.
Although this is not technically a flood, compared to our spring lake levels, it sure is for our docks and waterfronts.
Yesterday afternoon's sudden squall with westerly winds did even more damage.
Some dock owners have raised their docks (possibly more than once).
Some have removed their floating wooden deck boards.
And others have weighted their docks with rocks, chairs, or pails of water.
A few docks have floated away, along with one boat in First Lake that got swept off its boatlift and drifted as far as the highway bridge by Carleton Place.
Take whatever action you need, to protect docks and boats, especially if you"ll be away for the coming week.

08/06/2026

High water from Mississippi Lake, flowing over the Carleton Place dam Thursday.
The lake level is up about 26 cm / 10 inches in just a week. And it's about 38 cm / 15 inches higher than this date last year!
Looks like it will take quite a while for the town's shallow river and the fixed dam to lower the lake.

08/03/2026

With the deluge of rain, our lake level has risen 10 cm / 4 inches so far this weekend!
It will probably go higher still, as creeks, groundwater, and the upper Mississippi run into the lake.
With the lake now above normal, docks may be slippery or almost underwater.
www.mlakes.org/lake-water-levels
A Safety Statement has been issued for the Mississippi River, warning about fast-flowing water and unstable banks.

08/02/2026

Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) has launched an Invasive Phragmites Working Group.
Learn about "Ontario's worst invasive species", share your insights, help coordinate monitoring, in 2-3 meetings annually.
If you know of an outbreak, rent their Phragmites Removal Kit, including pruners, cutters, hip waders and safety glasses.
https://mvc.on.ca/invasive-phragmites/

07/19/2026

Next Saturday, the MLA will be at "Bridge Street Summerfest" in Carleton Place! Drop by our booth, where we'll be campaigning to save loons on Mississippi Lake.
We'll be campaigning for Lead-Free Fishing, since the biggest threat to adult loons is lead poising from ingesting lead fishing weights.
The "Let's Get the Lead Out" campaign has been adopted by 29 lake associations -- and has collected over 500 pounds of toxic lead fishing tackle: https://www.mlakes.org/post/let-s-get-the-lead-out
Loons also provide an excellent measure of lake health, so the MLA has been part of a loon count on Mississippi Lake for over a decade: https://www.mlakes.org/loon-survey

07/05/2026

Sundogs over Mississippi Lake, at 7:30 this evening.
Also known as parhelia, they occasionally appear about 22 degrees to the left, right, or both sides of the sun.
They form when sunlight refracts through ice crystals in high level cirrus clouds.

Address

P. O. Box 27, Carleton Place
Carleton Place, ON
K7C3P3

Website

http://mlakes.org/

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