Rice Lake looks calm from the launch ramp. Then a west wind stacks rollers over the sunken railway causeway and your easy afternoon turns into a boat-handling lesson.
This is our home water. Harris Boat Works has been on the south shore at Gores Landing since 1947, and these guides cover what living here teaches you: where to launch, how to dock when the wind is up, what the fishing seasons look like, pontoon life, the Trent-Severn Waterway, and the trailer trip up from Toronto and the GTA.
Thinking about renting before you buy, or sorting out storage before the snow? Those guides live here too.
46 guides in this collection.
Start here
- Trent-Severn 2026: Free Lockage Dates, Rules & Trip Plan - Free lockage runs June 19 to September 7, 2026, roughly $45 a day saved on a 20-footer. Our marina sits on the waterway; here's how we'd run it.
- Trailering a Boat: Toronto to Rice Lake - A guide to trailering your boat from Toronto to Rice Lake. Ontario rules, route notes, launch picks, and what HBW handles when you arrive.
- Boat Repower in the Kawarthas: Complete Guide - A step-by-step guide to repowering your boat in the Kawarthas: is your hull worth it, picking the motor, what the install involves.
- Best Pontoon Boats for Rice Lake Cottage Use (2026) - Best pontoon for Rice Lake cottage use: 18 to 22 ft Legend or similar with a Mercury 90 to 115 hp Command Thrust (or 150 HP standard gearcase above 115).
- Is a Pontoon Right for Your Family? - Is a pontoon right for your family on Rice Lake? Honest look at what pontoons do well, where they fall short, tubing power, and tritoon vs pontoon.
- Pontoon vs V-Hull, Honestly Compared for Ontario Boaters - Pontoon or V-hull? A Mercury Premier dealer's honest take on which hull fits which Ontario boater. Family use, fishing, rough water, fuel economy.
- Shrinkwrap vs Indoor Boat Storage Ontario - Shrinkwrap vs indoor boat storage in Ontario: honest comparison on cost, protection, and what happens without winterization.
- Rice Lake Boat Rentals: Fleet, Costs, and How It Works (2026) - Rice Lake boat rentals from Harris Boat Works in Gores Landing. The current pontoon and fishing-boat lineup, what's included, fuel planning, licence rules, and online...
- Mercury Dealer for Bowmanville: 35 Minutes to Rice Lake - Mercury Premier dealer for Bowmanville: Harris Boat Works on Rice Lake, 35 minutes via 401 and 115. Repower, sales, parts, winter storage practically next door.
- Mercury Dealer for Whitby: Only 45 Minutes to Rice Lake - Mercury Premier dealer for Whitby: Harris Boat Works on Rice Lake, 45 minutes north via 401 and 115. Repower, sales, parts, winter storage for Durham Region.
All Rice Lake & the Kawarthas guides
- Electric or Gas Repower? An Honest Guide for Rice Lake Boaters (Mercury Avator Included) - Thinking about an electric repower? An honest look at where the Mercury Avator fits in cottage country, where gas still wins, and how to decide for your boat.
- Renting vs Owning a Boat in Ontario: The Honest Math (2026) - Rent or buy a boat in Ontario? A marina that does both walks the real cost buckets, a practical worksheet, and what the spreadsheet misses.
- Group Boat Rentals on Rice Lake: Reunions, Fishing Weekends, and Big Days Out - Planning a reunion or group day on Rice Lake? How multi-boat rentals work: capacity rules, one licensed driver per boat, BBQs, and cottage-dock weekends.
- First Time Renting a Boat? What We Tell Every Renter at Our Dock - Never driven a boat? Review the core handling and safety guidance for a first Rice Lake rental: controls, docking, wind, hazards, and what to do if something goes wrong.
- Do You Need a Licence to Rent a Boat in Ontario? (2026) - Renting a boat in Ontario? Here's what the driver actually needs, how to get a boating licence online, and how long to allow before rental day.
- Canada Day on Rice Lake: Boating Guide - A local's guide to boating Rice Lake over Canada Day weekend - launches, fishing, fireworks viewing, safety, and ethanol-free fuel from Harris Boat Works.
- Trent-Severn Mercury Dealer Guide - Trent-Severn transit guide: how to confirm Mercury or MerCruiser service, exact parts, fuel, water access, and breakdown options near Rice Lake.
- Lake Ontario Salmon Boat Rigging: Kicker, Charging & Troll Control - Rig a Lake Ontario salmon boat around trolling control, kicker fit, alternator demand, battery management, electronics, and safe handoff testing.
- Mercury Repower GTA Toronto Guide - How a GTA boater repowers a boat at Harris Boat Works: logistics, pricing, timeline, and transport from the dealer that handles this route every week.
- Harris Boat Works: On Rice Lake Since 1947 - The real story of Harris Boat Works. George Harris opened the shop in 1947, Jim ran it for 37 years, and Jay runs it today. Three generations on the same Rice Lake dock.
- Winter Boat Storage Near Toronto HBW - An honest comparison of GTA boat storage options vs. driving to HBW on Rice Lake: pricing, what's included, the transport math, and where serious owners land.
- Mercury Avator Electric Outboard Range on Rice Lake (2026) - How far a Mercury Avator electric outboard actually goes on Rice Lake. Real-world range by model, battery configuration, charging logistics for cottage.
- Charging a Mercury Avator at Your Cottage Dock (2026) - How to set up Mercury Avator charging at an Ontario cottage. 110V vs 240V options, dock outlets, charge times by model, real-world planning for cottage.
- Rice Lake's Full-Service Marina Since 1947 - The full-service marina on Rice Lake, Ontario: family-owned since 1947 in Gores Landing, Mercury Premier dealer, storage, service, and rentals when in season.
- Boat Service Near Toronto HBW Reach - A Mercury Premier dealer's honest take on what GTA boat-service options really look like, what HBW does that local options often don't.
- Toronto to Rice Lake: How HBW Drive-In Service Works - Step-by-step guide to bringing a GTA boat to Harris Boat Works on Rice Lake, including drive-in drop-off and generally available boat-pickup arrangements.
- Mercury Pro XS Repower for Rice Lake & Kawartha Anglers - Mercury Pro XS repower guide for serious Rice Lake and Kawartha anglers. Hole-shot, top end, Command Thrust, fuel-burn, real numbers from a Mercury.
- Best Mercury Dealer in Ontario: The HBW Difference (2026) - A frank look at what "best Mercury dealer in Ontario" actually means, what to look for.
- Mercury Dealer Toronto: Why Drive to HBW - How Toronto-area boaters compare Mercury service and repower shops by written scope, pickup, and no-delivery limits. No competitor drive-time or price table.
- Rice Lake Boating Guide 2026 - Rice Lake boating guide from the marina that's been on it since 1947: launches, fish, hazards, rentals, and Trent-Severn access.
- HBW Outdoor Winter Boat Storage & Shrinkwrap - Outdoor winter boat storage and shrinkwrap at Harris Boat Works, Gores Landing on Rice Lake. What's included, what's not, and how to prep for an Ontario winter.
- Where to Launch Boat on Rice Lake - A no-nonsense guide to launching on Rice Lake from Gores Landing. Pre-launch checklist, parking, after-hours payment, what to know about the ramp.
- Cold-Water Boating Safety in Ontario: What to Know - Cold-water boating safety for Ontario waters. Risks, essential gear, weather awareness, and emergency procedures for spring, fall.
- Harris Boat Works Mercury Dealer Ontario - Discover why Harris Boat Works has been Ontario's trusted Mercury dealer since 1965. Learn about our expertise, inventory, service.
- Best Boats for Rice Lake Under $30,000 (2026 Buyer's Guide) - Under $30,000 CAD on Rice Lake in 2026: a new small aluminum with a Mercury under 60 HP, a used pontoon, or a clean used hull repowered at HBW.
- Ontario Boating Season Tips 2026 - How to run an Ontario boat season smart: spring commissioning, peak summer operations, fall layup, and the call-the-shop moments in between.
- Best Mercury Outboard for Lake Ontario Salmon & Trout - Choose a Mercury main outboard for a Lake Ontario salmon or trout boat by hull rating, loaded weight, use, range, and offshore conditions.
- Mercury Setup for Simcoe Walleye 2026 - A 2026 guide to fishing Lake Simcoe: species, seasons, FMZ 16 regulations, the open-water conditions, and the right Mercury outboard for every Simcoe setup.
- Best Motors for Kawartha Musky Fishing - Choose the right Mercury outboard for musky fishing in Ontario's Kawartha Lakes. Power recommendations and setup tips from local musky anglers.
- Docking a Boat in Wind: Rice Lake Guide - A technique-first guide to docking single-outboard boats (pontoons, bowriders, and fishing boats) in windy conditions on Rice Lake.
- Boat Trailering Mistakes to Avoid, Ontario - Ten trailering mistakes Ontario boaters make every season, from wrong tongue weight and blown trailer tires to forgetting the drain plug.
- Common Pontoon Problems on Rice Lake - The most common pontoon boat problems we see at Harris Boat Works, from underpowered motors to tube leaks and wiring corrosion.
- Best Mercury Outboard Setup for Rice Lake Fishing - Choose a Mercury main motor and kicker for Rice Lake fishing based on hull rating, load, trolling speed, weeds, wind, and how you fish.
- Mercury ProKicker for Rice Lake Walleye - Why the Mercury 9.9 ProKicker is the standard kicker for Rice Lake walleye trolling: what it is, which version to buy, install tips.
- Rice Lake Fishing Outlook 2026: Species, Seasons & Conditions - Plan a 2026 Rice Lake fishing trip with current FMZ 17 season context, an honest species outlook, local hazards, and seasonal conditions.
- Ontario Cottage Boat Motor Repower Guide (2026) - Ontario cottage repower guide: capacity-plate-first horsepower selection, Mercury fitment, drop-off logistics, and when repowering can make sense.
All blog guides