Paint Lake sits at the heart of Paint Lake Provincial Park, located 32 kilometres south of Thompson, Manitoba on Provincial Trunk Highway 6. The lake measures approximately 40.2 kilometres long and 8.5 kilometres wide, covering the majority of the park's 23,000 hectares of Precambrian Boreal Forest. The landscape is defined by rugged Precambrian Shield terrain, with countless islands, hidden coves, quiet bays, and sandy beaches offering varied paddling throughout the lake's extent. Notable islands along the canoe route include Hopkins, Cote, Kippen, and Garand Islands.

Paint Lake forms part of the broader Grass River Canoe Route, a historically significant waterway that Indigenous canoeists have traveled for approximately 5,000 years. The route connects to Wekusko Falls Provincial Park and Grass River Provincial Park, with wilderness campsites, serviced campgrounds, and designated put-in and take-out points distributed along the entire corridor. Paddlers completing the full Grass River route from Cranberry Portage to Paint Lake cover roughly 370 kilometres and should plan for approximately two weeks of travel, with around 23 portages along the way.

Access to the park is straightforward via Highway 6, and facilities are well developed for paddlers. Manitoba's largest marina operates year-round at Paint Lake and includes a boat launch, canoe and boat rentals, a licensed restaurant, convenience store with tackle and bait, and a repair shop. Fishing guides are available for those targeting walleye, northern pike, perch, whitefish, and burbot. Two campgrounds within the park offer both basic and electrically serviced sites, along with group campsites and lodge accommodation.

The lake's size means paddlers should be prepared for open-water conditions and the potential for wind and waves across its wide expanse. The surrounding boreal forest and Precambrian Shield provide a rugged northern character. Summer is the primary paddling season, though the park operates year-round. The Grass River Provincial Park survey program indicates active management of the canoe route, and paddlers who complete all or part of the Grass River route are encouraged to provide trip feedback through the provincial government's canoeing web page. Park vehicle permits are required year-round in Manitoba Provincial Parks.