Lac du Bonnet and the rivers to which the lake is connected (the Winnipeg, the Bird, and the Lee) lie about 100 km northeast of Winnipeg. Tucked between Lake Winnipeg and Whiteshell Provincial Park, this transitional area offers lots of variety: part former agricultural prairie flatland, part rocky Precambrian Shield.
The picturesque Still Cove and Bird River areas are coveted for their access to the bigger lake though they are on quieter adjacent waterways. Overall, there are only a few water-access sites; nearly all properties are accessible by road. A hydroelectric dam to the northwest keeps water levels fairly constant.
Cottagers take their pick of recreation: 60 km of waterways for boating; summer and winter fishing for pike and walleye, including a thousand-hole ice-fishing derby; birdwatching (prairie and boreal species reflect the area’s diversity); a vast network of snowmobile trails; and three golf courses. The towns of Lac du Bonnet and Pinawa in the southern part of the region offer medical facilities, grocery stores, and other amenities. There is also a marina at a private campground on the lake.