The Belgrade Lakes are a strongly seasonal destination. The summer season runs from late June to Labor Day (early September), when the lake camps are open, restaurants and shops are operating, and the water is warm enough to swim — usually 70–75°F by late July. September is the best month for visitors who want fewer people: warm days, cool nights, the start of fall colour by month's end, and the lakes almost empty.
October brings full foliage and the closure of most summer businesses. From November through April the lakes freeze over and the area becomes a quiet residential community with some ice fishing and a small cross-country ski trail network. May and June are mud season and black-fly season; July is peak.