Ontario Boating Destination Guide

Lake St. Clair and The Detroit River Area

Every day brings new adventure and scenery in Windsor, Ontario. Several services and activities can be enjoyed here all season.

The Detroit River
The Detroit River flows past the largest metropolis located at any international border and runs through the northernmost region of Carolinian forest that's home to a vast array of plant and animal species that are found nowhere else in Canada. While commercial vessels make 8,000 trips across the river every year, carrying goods between Canada and the United States, the area is a popular boating haven and known for having the highest concentration of recreational boats and harbours on the Great Lakes.

The Detroit River has slips and docks for more than 12,000 pleasure craft. The main channel through Lake St. Clair is a boating superhighway but you can paddle through such areas as Mitchell's Bay and feel like you're in the deep wilderness.

The St. Clair River is easily accessed via the Detroit River by heading upstream from Lake Erie. The area is known for excellent fishing with its abundance of walleye, bass, pike, and several species of panfish. One of the first municipal centres on this waterway is Amherstburg, which is also one of the oldest towns in Ontario.

Amherstburg has an abundance of history centering on the War of 1812. A popular attraction is Fort Malden, one of the many battle sites in this region. Visit this site for a glimpse of what military life was like nearly 200 years ago. Located along the Detroit River, Fort Malden highlights original earthworks, restored barracks and even an interactive museum. Other attractions for the whole family include The Gibson Gallery, which is housed in the former Michigan Central Railroad Station c. (built in 1896) and features the works from the permanent Collection of the Art Gallery of Windsor and the Royal Ontario Museum, and the Gordon House built in 1798. Today it's the Headquarters of Project H.M.S Detroit and is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to building a replica of Canada's Flag-Ship in the War of 1812, H.M.S. Detroit - the last ship built in the Amherstburg shipyards.

You may also want to plan your trip to this region for any one of Amherstburg's several annual celebrations, including the Garden Tour in May, Military Heritage Days in July/August or the Festival of the Hawks in September, which honours the large population of migrating birds of prey that pass by each fall.

Amherstburg, Ontario. You may want to plan your trip around Amherstburg's many events including the Garden Tour and Fair, Military Heritage Days or Festival of Hawks.

There are nearly 20 marinas on the stretch of river from Amherstburg to Belle River on Lake St. Clair. Combined, they can accommodate approximately 2,000 boats, with plenty of space for transient cruisers.

The next centre upstream is LaSalle. Named after the explorer, Rene-Robert Chevalier de la Salle, this community is one of the oldest French settlements in Southwestern Ontario and the oldest continually inhabited European settlement in Canada west of the Quebec border. Today, LaSalle is a thriving center and considered a bedroom community for the city of Windsor. You can walk downtown from the docks to enjoy excellent shopping, stock up on groceries, or relax at any number of its restaurants. There are several shore side parks where you can spend an afternoon, plus many festivals including the popular Strawberry Festival in May.

The Port of Windsor, located just up river of LaSalle, boasts two marinas and while its bright lights, race track and casino are major draws, Windsor has put a lot of effort into making the riverfront attractive. Steel and steam, cinders and train whistles have given way to flowers and greenery, lawns and the sound of birds along the shoreline. Fishermen line the riverbanks and boats from both sides of the river take part in regattas, power boat races and other waterfront activities, including the Sandwich Towne Festival, Dragon Boat Races, and the International Freedom Festival Tug Boat Race.

Lake ST. Clair
Lake St. Clair is roughly 42 kilometers long, 38 kilometers wide, and is a popular area for sportsmen. Bass, muskellunge, pickerel and panfish abound while duck hunting is popular in the fall. Larger boats cruise the main channel (that's shared with large commercial freighters) and several marinas and dockage are located all along the south and east shoreline.

Boaters along the shore of Lake St. Clair should watch for National Wildlife Areas posted by the Canadian Wildlife Service. This lake is the most important staging region for waterfowl south of James Bay. Thousands of migrating ducks, geese and swans migrate here in the spring and fall. Rare marsh birds also call this habitat home and there are several walking trails for avid bird watchers.

Several communities on the Canadian side welcome transient boaters. Along the south shore, located east of entrance to the Detroit River, is Tecumseh. The annual Corn Festival pays homage to one of the primary crops in this farming community. Tecumseh surrounds the lake, and in addition to several services, the kids will love the Flip Side Skateboard Park and the cool fun that's offered at the community's Leisure Pool.

The town of Lakeshore offers many fantastic recreational activities for tourists. The deep-water marina offers many services and is the location of the new mobile Skate Park. The marina is also the gateway to several local restaurants offering everything from Chinese food, Italian and Greek, to fast food fare. The nearby park and playground is great for the kids and provides a chance to stretch your legs.

The last community in this region is Sarnia, Ontario. Its downtown district offers great shopping, dining, and there are excellent golf courses nearby.

A little farther east is Lighthouse Cove, situated at the mouth of the Thames River. You can't miss the lighthouse - it's one of the oldest working lighthouses on the lakes and the Thames is a Canadian Heritage river that flows through the Carolinian forest, and it is navigable all the way upstream to Chatham, approximately 25 kilometres from the lake. Continuing around the lake takes you past Mitchell's Bay and up to the St. Clair River.

The St. Clair River has created the largest freshwater delta in North America and the only major one in the Great Lakes Region. Eight islands in the delta form the St. Clair flats. While the river is 66 kilometres long and easily navigated, the combination of ferry boats, St. Lawrence Seaway shipping and recreational boating make it quite busy.

There are two main centres along the length of the St. Clair River. The first is Port Lambton, a small centre with a large riverside park and two marinas that host the popular Gala Days every year. Sarnia is a busy community with large petrochemical complexes on the river south of the city. The pair of Blue Water Bridges joins the city with Port Huron Michigan. Sarnia's scenic Centennial Park is home to many festivals including the Celebration of Lights and the Sarnia Highland Games, which features the North American Haggis Hurling Championship.

You'll find a choice of places for waterfront dining. There are regular cruise boats that travel up and down the river and for the intrepid who like to fish, the annual Sarnia Salmon Derby is one of the oldest and largest fishing derbies in the province. The city also hosts offshore powerboat races. As you leave Sarnia heading north, you pass under the bridges and enter Lake Huron.