From gleaming, glacier-fed pools to vast inland seas, Canada is a land of lakes. In fact, Canada has more lakes than any other country in the world. While many people are familiar with the huge Great Lakes and the turquoise waters of Banff's Lake Louise, these bodies of fresh water also deserve some fanfare.

Emerald Lake in Canada’s Yukon Territory comes by its name honestly: the water emits a mesmerising green glow. As with the glacial lakes in the Canadian Rockies, the vibrant green water comes from mineral deposits, in this case, marl, clay, and calcium deposited thousands of years ago that reflect the light of the sun. 

The largest lake in BC’s Coast mountain range, Harrison Lake is 37 miles (60km) long. Thousands of years ago it actually used to be an arm of the Pacific Ocean, but it’s now landlocked and full of fresh water. Its unique bio-diversity makes it a great home for plenty of different varieties of fish, waterfowl, and seals.

The lake is deep and cold, but warmer waters can be found in the adjacent Harrison Hot Springs, which boasts mineral-rich waters reaching 38°C (100°F). The hot springs have long attracted traditional First Nation communities. Over the course of thousands of years, those Indigenous inhabitants have created paintings and carvings, many depicting stories of a sasquatch-like creature that has become a point of local lore. 

The big famous lake in BC’s Okanagan Valley is, obviously, Okanagan Lake, but a much smaller lake to the south in the Nk’Mip Desert is also worthy of attention. Spotted Lake is more of a pool than what one would typically think of as a lake, but it’s a natural curiosity that has become a popular road stop for those driving through the area. The lake is on private property, but can easily be viewed from the side of the road.

It doesn’t take major hiking skills to access the Bow Summit viewpoint that looks over the brilliant turquoise waters of Peyto Lake. The stunning body of water sits right off the Icefields Parkway road, which runs from Lake Louise to Jasper. The glacier-fed lake gets its vivid colours from light reflected off rock flour that becomes suspended in the water as the result of summer glacier melt.

Just a mile from the town of Banff and set against the backdrop of Mount Rundle, the Vermilion Lakes offer a fair bit of solitude, especially in comparison to busier lakes in Banff National Park. The lakes are especially beautiful at sunrise and sunset, when the light reflects off the water and the snow-capped mountains.

The quiet of the Vermillion area also attracts plenty of wildlife, including moose, elk, beavers, and even some of Banff’s famous bear population. Vermillion is a beautiful spot year-round, with methane bubbles freezing under the surface of the ice in the winter and the occasional opportunity to catch the Northern Lights after dark. Here are more unexpected places where you can see the Northern Lights.

The turquoise lakes in Banff National Park tend to get the most accolades in Alberta, but Waterton Lakes National Park on the southern edge of the province also offers mind-blowing views. Waterton Lake, which is actually two lakes connected by a channel, straddles the Canada/US border, with the lake flowing into Montana’s Glacier National Park.

Boat cruises can often be seen sailing along the lake in search of wildlife and the area is also well known for its many hiking trails. The lakeside is home to the impressive Prince of Wales Hotel, a Canadian National Historic Site that serves as an excellent example of an early 1900s Canadian railway hotel.

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Great Slave Lake is a wonder of the Northwest Territories: it’s the 11th largest lake in the world and also North America’s deepest lake. That depth means that the lake is chock full of fish. Small fishing boats often dock on one of the lake’s many small islands to cook up a traditional shore lunch before heading back to the mainland.

Saskatchewan, best known for its flat prairie farmland, surprisingly has over 10,000 lakes, although most of them are fairly small and not particularly noteworthy. Lake Waskesiu sits in Prince Albert Provincial Park in central Saskatchewan, near the hamlet of Waskesiu, the only town within the entire park.

Clearwater Lake is the jewel of Manitoba’s Clearwater Lake Provincial Park. It’s fairly far north – over a six-hour drive from Winnipeg – and that position makes the water both incredibly cold and as the name suggests, very clear. The bottom is visible at 35 feet (11m), and those who look in will see lots of fish, including lake trout, northern pike and whitefish.

Situated in Algonquin Provincial Park in southeastern Ontario, Rock Lake is known for its pine-fringed edges and crystalline waters. Full of cabins and camping grounds, the park is favoured by Ontarians for its expansive hiking and biking trails and opportunities to travel the waters on a canoe.

Southern Ontario may be home to Canada’s Great Lakes, but it’s also full of smaller lakes beloved by nature lovers. About a two-hour drive from Toronto, the relatively shallow Rice Lake is a popular spot to swim or paddle in the summer, and a hot spot for winter sports enthusiasts and ice fishers in the winter once it’s frozen over.

Lake Wapizagonke sits in La Mauricie National Park, which is unquestionably one of the most beautiful places in Canada to catch the colours of autumn leaves. For just a few weeks each fall the trees around the lake blaze with hues of bright orange, yellow and red. There are other lakes in the park, but Lake Wapizagonke is special in that it is so long and narrow. 

Located a little over two hours north of Quebec City, Lake Saint-Jean (or Lac Saint-Jean as it’s commonly called by Anglophones) is a vast lake surrounded by numerous beaches. The area is known for its blueberries – there’s even a bike route called the Véloroute des Bleuets that takes riders past blueberry farms as well as other culinary stops.

Technically an inland sea in the centre of Cape Breton Island, Bras D’Or Lake is a mix of fresh and salt water. The vast body of water, which covers approximately 424 square miles (1,099sq km), was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2011 and includes 12 significant watersheds that sustain a wide variety of wildlife both on the land and in the water.

Whales can often be seen in the nearby Atlantic, as well as puffins and other coastal birds. Locals like to boat and paddle through the lake, which is also dotted with small islands. The uninhabited Kidston Island is known for its beach, as well as an iconic Nova Scotia lighthouse. 

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Gros Morne National Park on the west coast of Newfoundland is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that offers some of Atlantic Canada’s most fascinating wild views. The rugged rock formations and fjords offer an almost ancient look at the Earth’s formation and continental drift. Western Brook Pond, a now land-locked fjord, is one of the park’s most stunning features.