Largest Lakes in Canada

Lake Superior is a lake in central North America. The northernmost, westernmost, and highest of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior straddles the Canada–United States border with the Canadian province of Ontario to the north and east and the U.S. states of Minnesota to the west and Michigan and Wisconsin to the south. It is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area and the third-largest freshwater lake by volume. It drains into Lake Huron via St. Marys River, then through the lower Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence River and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Superior (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake Huron ( HURE-on, -⁠ən) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is shared on the north and east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south and west by the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the lake is derived from early French explorers who named it for the indigenous people they knew as Huron (Wyandot) inhabiting the region.

Hydrologically, Lake Huron comprises the eastern portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the wide and deep Straits of Mackinac. Combined, Lake Michigan–Huron is the largest freshwater lake by area in the world. The Huronian glaciation was named from evidence collected from the Lake Huron region. The northern parts of the lake include the North Channel and Georgian Bay. Saginaw Bay is located in the southwest corner of the lake. The main inlet is the St. Marys River from Lake Superior, and the main outlet is through the St. Clair River toward Lake Erie. Lake Huron has a fairly large drainage basin covering parts of Michigan and Ontario. Water flows through Lake Huron faster than the other Great Lakes with a retention time of only 22 years.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Huron (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Great Bear Lake (North Slavey: Sahtú; French: Grand lac de l'Ours) in the boreal forest of Canada is the largest lake entirely in Canada (Lake Superior and Lake Huron are larger but straddle the Canada–US border), the fourth-largest in North America, and the eighth-largest in the world. The lake is in the Northwest Territories, on the Arctic Circle between 65 and 67 degrees of northern latitude and between 118 and 123 degrees western longitude, 156 m (512 ft) above sea level. It drains into the Great Bear River, thence into the Mackenzie River.

The name originated from the Chipewyan word satudene, meaning "grizzly bear-water people". The Sahtu, a Dene people, are named after the lake. Grizzly Bear Mountain, or Sahoyue, on the shore of the lake also comes from Chipewyan, meaning "bear-large hill".

Sahoyue (Grizzly Bear Mountain), a peninsula on the south side of the lake, and Edacho (Scented Grass Hills), another peninsula on the west side, form the Saoyú-ʔehdacho National Historic Site of Canada.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Great Bear Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Great Slave Lake is the second-largest lake in the Northwest Territories, Canada (after Great Bear Lake), the deepest lake in North America at 614 m (2,014 ft), and the tenth-largest lake in the world by area. It is 469 km (291 mi) long and 20 to 203 km (12 to 126 mi) wide. It covers an area of 27,200 km2 (10,500 sq mi) in the southern part of the territory. Its given volume ranges from 1,070 km3 (260 cu mi) to 1,580 km3 (380 cu mi) and up to 2,088 km3 (501 cu mi) making it the 13th largest by volume.

The lake shares its name with the Dene, a group of First Nations peoples, who were called Slavey by their enemies, the Cree. Towns situated on the lake include (clockwise from east) Łutselk'e, Fort Resolution, Hay River, Hay River Reserve, Behchokǫ̀, Yellowknife, Ndilǫ, and Dettah. The only community in the East Arm is Łutselk'e, a hamlet of about 350 people, largely Chipewyan Indigenous peoples of the Dene Nation, and the abandoned winter camp and Hudson's Bay Company post Fort Reliance. Along the south shore, east of Hay River is the abandoned Pine Point Mine and the company town of Pine Point.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Great Slave Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake Erie ( EER-ee) is the fourth-largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and also has the shortest average water residence time. At its deepest point, Lake Erie is 210 feet (64 m) deep, making it the only Great Lake whose deepest point is above sea level.

Located on the International Boundary between Canada and the United States, Lake Erie's northern shore is the Canadian province of Ontario, specifically the Ontario Peninsula, with the U.S. states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York on its western, southern, and eastern shores. These jurisdictions divide the surface area of the lake with water boundaries. The largest city on the lake is Cleveland, anchoring the third largest U.S. metro area in the Great Lakes region, after Greater Chicago and Metro Detroit. Other major cities along the lake shore include Buffalo, New York; Erie, Pennsylvania; and Toledo, Ohio.

Situated below Lake Huron, Erie's primary inlet is the Detroit River.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Erie (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake Winnipeg is a 24,514-square-kilometre (9,465-square-mile) lake in North America, in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Its southern end is about 55 kilometres (34 miles) north of the namesake city, Winnipeg. It is the 12th largest lake on Earth, Canada's sixth-largest freshwater lake, and the third-largest freshwater lake contained entirely within Canada. It is relatively shallow, with a mean depth of 12 metres [39 feet]. Its deepest section is a narrow 36-metre (118-foot) deep channel between the northern and southern basins.

The lake's east side has pristine boreal forests and rivers that were inscribed in 2018 as Pimachiowin Aki, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The lake is 416 km (258 mi) from north to south, with remote sandy beaches, large limestone cliffs, and many bat caves in some areas. Manitoba Hydro uses the lake as one of the largest reservoirs in the world. There are many islands, most of them undeveloped.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Winnipeg (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake Ontario (French: Lac Ontario) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border spans the centre of the lake. On the Canadian side, the major cities are Kingston, Mississauga, Toronto, Hamilton, and St. Catharines. On the American side, the major cities are Rochester and Watertown.

As the last in the Great Lakes chain of freshwater lakes, Lake Ontario serves as the outlet to the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence River, comprising the western end of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Its primary inlet is the Niagara River from Lake Erie. The Long Sault control dam, primarily along with the Moses-Saunders Power Dam regulates the water level of the lake.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Ontario (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Georgian Bay (French: Baie Georgienne) is a large bay of Lake Huron. It is located entirely within the borders of Ontario, Canada. The main body of the bay lies east of the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island. To its northwest is the North Channel.

Georgian Bay is surrounded by (listed clockwise) the districts of Manitoulin, Sudbury, Parry Sound and Muskoka, as well as the more populous counties of Simcoe, Grey and Bruce. The Main Channel separates the Bruce Peninsula from Manitoulin Island and connects Georgian Bay to the rest of Lake Huron. The North Channel, located between Manitoulin Island and the Sudbury District, west of Killarney, was once a popular route for steamships and is now used by a variety of pleasure craft to travel to and from Georgian Bay.

The shores and waterways of Georgian Bay are the traditional domain of the Anishinaabeg First Nations peoples to the north and Huron-Petun (Wyandot) to the south. The bay was thus a major Algonquian-Iroquoian trade route.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Georgian Bay (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake Athabasca ( ATH-ə-BASK-ə; French: lac Athabasca; from Woods Cree: ᐊᖬᐸᐢᑳᐤ aðapaskāw, "[where] there are plants one after another") is in the north-west corner of Saskatchewan and the north-east corner of Alberta between 58° and 60° N in Canada. The lake is about 26% in Alberta and 74% in Saskatchewan.

The lake is fed by the Athabasca River and other rivers, and its water flows northward via the Slave River to the Mackenzie River system, eventually reaching the Arctic Ocean.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Athabasca (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Reindeer Lake is a large lake in Western Canada located on the border between north-eastern Saskatchewan and north-western Manitoba. It is the 21st largest lake in the world by area, as well as being the second-largest lake in Saskatchewan and the ninth largest in Canada. Eight percent of the lake lies in Manitoba while 92% of the lake is in Saskatchewan. Formerly called Deer Lake, its name appears to be a translation of the Algonquian name.

Access to the lake is from Saskatchewan's Highways 102 and 994 and Manitoba's Highway 394. Highway 102 ends at the community of Southend at Reindeer Lake's southern end. Highway 394 ends at the Saskatchewan border and carries on as Highway 994 for 1.1 kilometres (0.7 mi) into Kinoosao on the eastern shore.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Reindeer Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake Winnipegosis is a large (5,370 km2) lake in central North America, in Manitoba, Canada, some 300 km northwest of Winnipeg. It is Canada's eleventh-largest lake.

The lake's name derives from that of Lake Winnipeg, with a diminutive suffix. Winnipeg means 'big muddy waters' and Winnipegosis means 'little muddy waters'., both characterized by coastal wetlands.

It appears as Winipgassish on the Fidler map of 1820, while modern spelling dates from as early as 1811.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Winnipegosis (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Nettilling Lake () is a cold freshwater lake located toward the south end of Baffin Island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is the 27th largest lake in the world by area, and the world's largest lake on an island, with an area of 5,542 km2 (2,140 sq mi) and a maximum length of 123 km (76 mi). The lake is in the Great Plain of the Koukdjuak about 280 km (170 mi) northwest of Iqaluit. The Arctic Circle crosses the lake. The lake's name is of Inuktitut origin, coming from the word for the adult ringed seal (netsilak). Franz Boas explored its southern shore in 1884.

Nettilling is the largest lake in Nunavut. It is fed by the second largest lake on Baffin Island, Amadjuak Lake; as well as several other smaller lakes and streams. It empties west via the very shallow Koukdjuak River into Foxe Basin. The eastern half has many small islands and the western half is deeper with no islands. The lake is frozen for most of the year. Ringed seals live in the lake, along with three recorded species of fish: the Arctic char, the ninespine, and three-spined stickleback. The tundra around the lake and south to Amadjuak Lake is important for barren-ground caribou feeding and calving.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Nettilling Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake Manitoba (French: Lac Manitoba) is the 14th largest lake in Canada and the 31st largest lake in the world with a total area of 4,624 square kilometres (1,785 sq mi). It is located within the Canadian province of Manitoba about 75 kilometres (47 mi) northwest of the province's capital, Winnipeg, at 50°59′N 98°48′W.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Manitoba (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake Nipigon ( NIP-ih-gon; French: lac Nipigon; Ojibwe: Animbiigoo-zaaga'igan) is a freshwater lake in Northwestern Ontario. Part of the Great Lakes drainage basin, it drains through the Nipigon River into Lake Superior. It is the largest lake entirely within the Canadian province of Ontario.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Nipigon (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake of the Woods (French: lac des Bois; Ojibwe: Pikwedina Sagainan, lit. 'inland lake of the sand hills') is a lake occupying parts of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba and the U.S. state of Minnesota. Lake of the Woods is over 70 miles (110 km) long and wide, containing more than 14,552 islands and 65,000 miles (105,000 km) of shoreline. It is fed by the Rainy River, Shoal Lake, Kakagi Lake and other smaller rivers. The lake drains into the Winnipeg River and then into Lake Winnipeg. Ultimately, its outflow goes north through the Nelson River to Hudson Bay.

Lake of the Woods is also the sixth largest freshwater lake located (at least partially) in the United States, after the five Great Lakes, and the 35th largest lake in the world by area. It separates a small land area of Minnesota from the rest of the United States. The Northwest Angle and Angle Township can be reached from the rest of Minnesota only by crossing the lake or by traveling through Canada. The Northwest Angle is the northernmost part of the contiguous United States. Its "northwesternmost point" served as a problematic landmark in treaties defining the international border.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake of the Woods (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Dubawnt Lake is a lake in the Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is 3,630 km2 (1,400 sq mi) in size and has several islands. It is about 320 km (200 mi) north of the Four Corners, about 480 km (300 mi) west of Hudson Bay and about 400 km (250 mi) south of the Arctic Circle. To the northwest is the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary. Its main inlet and outlet is the north-flowing Dubawnt River which joins the Thelon River at Beverly Lake. The Thelon flows east to Hudson Bay at Chesterfield Inlet. It is on the line of contact between the Sayisi Dene band of Eastern Caribou-Eater Chipewyan people and the Harvaqtuurmiut and Ihalmiut bands of Caribou Inuit. The first recorded European to reach the lake was Samuel Hearne in 1770, but it remained largely unknown to outsiders until it was explored by Joseph Tyrrell in 1893. There are no permanent settlements but there are fly-in fish camps where large lake trout can be caught during the two month ice-free season.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Dubawnt Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Amadjuak Lake is a lake in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. Along with Nettilling Lake, it is located in south-central Baffin Island's Great Plain of the Koukdjuak. It is 154 km (96 mi) south of Burwash Bay. The closest community is Iqaluit.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Amadjuak Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake Mistassini (French: Lac Mistassini) is the largest natural lake by surface area in the province of Quebec, Canada, with a total surface area of approximately 2,335 square kilometres (902 sq mi) and a net area (water surface area only) of 2,164 square kilometres (836 sq mi). It is located in the Jamésie region of the province, approximately 360 kilometers (220 mi) east of James Bay. The Cree town of Mistissini is located on Watson Peninsula in the south-east corner of the lake, which separates Baie du Poste from Abatagouche Bay.

Extensive forests of spruce, birch, pine, and fir trees, which support a booming forestry industry, surround the lake.

Significant tributaries flowing into the lake include: Chalifour, Pépeshquasati, Takwa, Témiscamie, and Wabissinane.

Other nearby lakes include Lake Albanel and Lake Troilus.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Mistassini (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Churchill Lake is a large glacial lake in the north-western part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is the source of the 1,609-kilometre (1,000 mi) long Churchill River, which flows east into Hudson Bay. Frobisher Lake flows into Churchill Lake from the north through Simonds Channel and Peter Pond Lake flows in from the east through Kisis Channel. The outflow is at the southern end through MacBeth Channel, which flows south into Lac Île-à-la-Crosse. The lake can freeze from as early as November and remain frozen till May.

The village of Buffalo Narrows is on the south-western shore near Kisis Channel and the Churchill Lake Indian reserve is at the northern end. Churchill Lake Outfitting is on the north-western shore. Access to the lake is from Highway 155 (which crosses Kisis Channel) and Buffalo Narrows Airport.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Churchill Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Wollaston Lake (Woods Cree: ᒌᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᕽ, romanized: cîkahikan sâkahikanihk, lit. 'at hatchet/axe lake') is a lake in the north-eastern part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is about 550 kilometres (340 mi) north-east of Prince Albert. With a surface area of 2,286 square kilometres (883 sq mi) (excluding islands; 2,681 square kilometres (1,035 sq mi) if islands are included), it is the largest bifurcation lake in the world — that is, a lake that drains naturally in two directions.

About 10% of the lake's water drains into the Fond du Lac River, which flows out of the lake to the north-west, where it drains into Lake Athabasca, which ultimately drains into the Arctic Ocean via the Mackenzie River system. The rest of the water drains into the Cochrane River, which flows out of the north-eastern side of the lake and into Reindeer Lake, which drains via the Churchill River system into Hudson Bay.

Wollaston Lake's main inflow is the Geikie River which flows from the south-west into the south-west section of the lake. If Hudson Bay is considered an arm of the Atlantic Ocean, then the Geikie is the largest river in the world to flow naturally into two oceans.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Wollaston Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Southern Indian Lake is a large lake in northern Manitoba, Canada. It has an area of 2,247 square kilometres (868 sq mi) (including islands) with a surface elevation of 258 metres (846 ft).

Southern Indian Lake is the fourth largest lake in Manitoba. It has a complex shoreline with many islands, long peninsulas and deep bays. The Churchill River flows through the lake.

The community of South Indian Lake is located on the southeast shore, about 130 kilometres (81 mi) (by air) north of the city of Thompson. It had a population of 767 in 2011 and is the main settlement of the O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation, a First Nations band government.

Southern Indian Lake is on the Fidler map of 1814.

The lake and the settlement are accessed by the South Indian Lake Airport and Manitoba Provincial Road 493 (PR 493). PR 493, a gravel road, begins at Leaf Rapids on PR 391 (also a gravel road), running 219.1 kilometres (136.1 mi) northeast to its terminus at South Indian Lake. The nearest city, Thompson, is 436 kilometres (271 mi) by road.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Southern Indian Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Whitefish Bay is a large bay on the eastern end of Lake Superior between Michigan, United States; and Ontario, Canada. It is located between Whitefish Point in Michigan and Whiskey Point along the more rugged, largely wilderness Canadian Shield of Ontario. The international border runs through the bay, which is heavily used by shipping traffic northbound from and southbound to the Soo Locks. It was previously known as Tequamenon Bay in vintage maps and surveyor documents from the 18th and 19th centuries, named for the prominent Tahquamenon River whose mouth feeds into the bay.

The Whitefish Point Light marks the entry of the bay, Ile Parisienne Light is in the middle of the bay, and Gros Cap Reefs Light lies near the outlet of the bay and the approach to the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

Whitefish Point Lighthouse is the oldest active light on Lake Superior. Part of the lighthouse station houses the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. It holds artifacts from the shipwrecks listed below and has information on the notable wreck of SS Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975, in which all 29 crew were lost.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Whitefish Bay (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Williston Lake is a reservoir created by the W. A. C. Bennett Dam which is located in the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Williston Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Cree Lake is a large glacial lake in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The lake is the fourth largest in the province and is located west of Reindeer Lake and south of Lake Athabasca in the Mackenzie River drainage basin. Cree Lake is the remnant of a large proglacial lake that flowed south into the Churchill River during the last ice age.

Cree Lake has no highway access. Floatplanes are the means used to access the lodges and amenities on the lake.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Cree Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lac Seul is a large, crescent-shaped reservoir in Kenora District, northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is approximately 241 km (150 mi) long. It has a maximum (regulated) depth of 47.2 m, with a surface elevation of 357 m above sea level. Its level is raised in the summer and then drawn down in the winter months to reach points of as low as 4.9 m below the maximum level. It is the second largest body of water entirely within the province of Ontario (Lake Nipigon being first).

The lake consists of open-water bays, narrow channels, and islands. It is a relatively shallow lake with many rock shoals. This provides a good habitat for walleye (also known as "yellow pickerel") and northern pike as well as yellow perch. During the Lac Seul project of 1968-1972 no muskelunge were noted in the catches of research nets set over those years. Significant numbers of whitefish, tullibee, burbot, walleye, northern pike, perch, fighting muskies, and cisco were noted as well, although they infrequently were noted in the sport fishery. Lac Seul is noted for offering some of the best fishing in Ontario.

Lac Seul is located on the former lakebed of Glacial Lake Agassiz.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lac Seul (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Yathkyed Lake (variant: Haecoligua; meaning: "white swan") is a natural freshwater lake in Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada. Located between Angikuni Lake and Forde Lake, it is one of several lakes on the Kazan River. Yathkyed lake was named by the Sayisi Dene, historical barren-ground caribou hunters of the area. Caribou Inuit artifacts have also been found here. The lake has a surface area of 1,449 square kilometres.

It contains an island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island in a lake, also known as a fourth-order island. It is the only known fourth order island in the world.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Yathkyed Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Kasba Lake is a lake in the northern Canadian wilderness. The majority of the lake lies within the Northwest Territories, but a small section is in Nunavut. The lake is close to Canada's four corners. A seasonal fishing lodge is open to tourists each summer.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Kasba Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lac la Ronge is a glacial lake in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is the fifth largest lake in the province and is approximately 250 kilometres (160 mi) north of Prince Albert, on the edge of the Canadian Shield. La Ronge, Air Ronge, and the Lac La Ronge First Nation are on the western shore. The lake is a popular vacation spot. Recreational activities include fishing, boating, canoeing, hiking, and camping.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lac la Ronge (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Garry Lake (variant: Garry Lakes; Inuktitut: Hanningajuq, meaning "sideways", or "crooked") is a lake in sub-Arctic Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada. As a portion of the Back River waterway, Garry Lake originates directly east of Lake Pelly and drains to the east by the Back River. A set of rapids separate Buliard Lake (directly to the north) from Garry Lake. Two other sets of rapids separate Garry Lake's three sections (Upper Garry Lake, Garry Lake, Lower Garry Lake) which are also differentiated by elevation. Garry Lakes are isolated from nearby communities.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Garry Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake Champlain ( sham-PLAYN; French: Lac Champlain, pronounced [lak ʃɑ̃plɛ̃] ) is a large natural freshwater lake in North America. With a length of 107 mi (172 km) and surface area over 500 sq mi (1,295 km2), it lies mostly between the U.S. states of New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canadian province of Quebec.

Burlington, Vermont, and Plattsburgh, New York, are the largest settlements on the lake, and towards the south lies the historic Fort Ticonderoga in New York. The Quebec portion is in the regional county municipalities of Le Haut-Richelieu and Brome-Missisquoi. There are numerous islands in the lake; the largest include Grand Isle, Isle La Motte and North Hero: all part of Grand Isle County, Vermont. Because of its connections both to the St. Lawrence Seaway via the Richelieu River, and to the Hudson River via the Champlain Canal, Lake Champlain is sometimes referred to as "The Sixth Great Lake".

The coastline is relatively undeveloped and hosts several state parks, including North Hero and Button Bay in Vermont, and Cumberland Bay in New York. Much of New York's shoreline is located within the larger Adirondack Park.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Champlain (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake Bienville (French: Lac Bienville; Cree: apišikamîš) is a lake in western central Quebec in Canada. The lake was named after Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the younger brother of Sieur d'Iberville. The lake has several outlets, draining both east into Ungava Bay and west into Little Whale River, and into Great Whale River, which flows through this lake on its way to Hudson Bay.

Lake Bienville is on the southern edge of the subarctic climate zone. The lake has an area of 1015 km2. Freshwater seals have been reported living in the lake, and wood caribou roam around its shores.

A proposed hydroelectric project, James Bay II, would result in the flooding of the land around the lake.

On 16 March 1981, an Air Inuit Douglas C-47 Skytrain, C-FIRW, was damaged beyond repair when it broke through the frozen surface of the lake while taxiing for take-off on a cargo flight.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Bienville (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lesser Slave Lake is located in northern Alberta, Canada, northwest of Edmonton. It is the second largest lake entirely within Alberta boundaries (and the largest easily accessible by vehicle), covering 1,160 km2 (450 sq mi) and measuring over 100 km (62 mi) long and 15 km (9.3 mi) at its widest point. Lesser Slave Lake averages 11.4 m (37 ft) in depth and is 20.5 m (67 ft) at its deepest. It drains eastwards into the Athabasca River by way of the Lesser Slave River.

The town of Slave Lake is located at the eastern tip of the lake, around the outflow of Lesser Slave River.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lesser Slave Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Rainy Lake (French: lac à la Pluie; Ojibwe: gojiji-zaaga'igan) is a freshwater lake with a surface area of 930 km2 (360 sq mi) that straddles the border between the United States and Canada. The Rainy River issues from the west side of the lake. Today it is harnessed to make hydroelectricity for United States (US) and Canadian locations. International Falls, Minnesota and the much smaller city of Ranier, Minnesota are situated opposite Fort Frances, Ontario, on either side of the Rainy River. Rainy Lake and Rainy River establish part of the boundary between the U.S. state of Minnesota and the Canadian province of Ontario.

Voyageurs National Park is located on the southeastern corner of the lake, where it connects with Kabetogama and Namakan lakes at Kettle Falls. Rainy Lake is part of an extremely large system of lakes forming the Hudson Bay drainage basin that stretches from west of Lake Superior north to the Arctic Ocean. The Rainy Lake watershed includes the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA), portions of the Superior National Forest on the Us side of the border, and the Quetico Provincial Park on the Canadian side of the border.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Rainy Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake St. Clair (French: Lac Sainte-Claire) is a freshwater lake that lies between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan. It was named in 1679 by French Catholic explorers after Saint Clare of Assisi, on whose feast day they first saw the lake.

It is part of the Great Lakes system (although not considered one of the five Great Lakes), and along with the St. Clair River and Detroit River, Lake St. Clair connects Lake Huron (to the north) with Lake Erie (to the south). It has a total surface area of about 430 square miles (1,100 km2) and an average depth of just 11 feet (3.4 m); to ensure an uninterrupted waterway, government agencies in both countries have maintained a 30-foot-deep (9.1 m) shipping channel through the shallow lake for more than a century.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake St. Clair (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Napaktulik Lake formerly Takiyuak Lake or Takijuq Lake is the eighth largest lake in Nunavut, Canada. It is located 173 km (107 mi) south of Kugluktuk and is the source of the Hood River.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Napaktulik Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Aylmer Lake is a lake along the Lockhart River in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Of lakes in the Northwest Territories, it is the seventh largest.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Aylmer Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake Abitibi (French: Lac Abitibi, Ojibwe: Aabitibiiwi-zaaga’igan) is a shallow lake in northeastern Ontario and western Quebec, Canada.

The lake, which lies within the vast Clay Belt, takes its name from the river. "Abitibi" comes from the Algonquin words abitah, meaning middle and nipi meaning water, possibly a reference to its geographic location between the Harricana (from the Algonquin word Nanikana, meaning "the main way") to the east and the Kapuskasing–Mattagami river system to the west.

Portions of Lake Abitibi's southern shores and a section of the Abitibi River are part of the Abitibi-de-Troyes Provincial Park. The islands in Ontario's portion of the lake are protected in the Lake Abitibi Islands Provincial Park. The entire McDougall Point Peninsula, that separates the lake in two, is part of the 6,036 hectares (14,920 acres) Mcdougal Point Peninsula Conservation Reserve.

Pointe Abitibi at the mouth of the Duparquet River (today part of Gallichan municipality) is a National Historic Site of Canada.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Abitibi (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The Pipmuacan Reservoir (French: Réservoir Pipmuacan) is a man-made lake on the boundary of the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean and Côte-Nord regions of Quebec, Canada, about 130 kilometres (81 mi) north of Chicoutimi. It is used to control the flow for downstream hydro-electric generating stations on the Betsiamites River and, through Lake Pamouscachiou, also on the Shipshaw River. It has a total surface area of 978 square kilometres (378 sq mi) and a net area (water only) of 802 square kilometres (310 sq mi).

The reservoir is shaped highly irregularly, with many deep bays, dotted with islands in its western section, and characterized by a large rounded peninsula in the centre. Primary tributaries are the Betsiamites, Sylvestre, Hirondelles, and Pipmuacan Rivers.

The reservoir is named after Lake Pipmuacan that was flooded during the formation of the reservoir. The name is of Innu origin, that may mean "arrow".

Adapted from Wikipedia: Pipmuacan Reservoir (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake Nipissing (; French: lac Nipissing, Ojibwe: ᑭᒋᓂᐲᓐᓯᓐᓵᑲᐃᑲᓐ, romanized: Gichi-nibiinsing-zaaga’igan) is a lake in the Canadian province of Ontario. It has a surface area of 873.3 km2 (337.2 sq mi), a mean elevation of 196 m (643 ft) above sea level, and is located between the Ottawa River and Georgian Bay. Lake Nipissing is the third-largest lake entirely in Ontario. It is relatively shallow for a large lake, with an average depth of only 4.5 m (15 ft). The shallowness of the lake makes for many sandbars along the lake's irregular shoreline. The lake reaches a maximum depth of 64 m (210 ft) near the mouth of the French River, off the shore of Blueberry Island. The lake has many islands most of which are protected under the Protection of Significant Wetlands scheme, controlled by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

The largest population centre on the lake's shoreline is the city of North Bay. North Bay sits along the lake's northeastern shoreline. Other notable towns include Callander (south of North Bay along Highway 11). The larger towns toward the western end of the lake are Sturgeon Falls, Garden Village, Cache Bay and Lavigne.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Nipissing (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The Cabonga Reservoir (French: Réservoir Cabonga) is a man-made lake in central Quebec, Canada, with a total surface area of 677 square kilometres (261 sq mi) and a net area (water only) of 484 square kilometres (187 sq mi). It is located on the boundary between the unorganized territories of Lac-Pythonga and Réservoir-Dozois, and fully within the La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve. The First Nations reserve of Rapide Lake is on its western shores.

Its name is derived from the Algonquin kakibonga and means "completely blocked by sand."

The reservoir has two outlets: the Gens de Terre River flowing to the south-east which is a tributary of the Baskatong Reservoir and Gatineau River; and an outflow to the north-west flowing directly into Barrière Lake which is part of the Ottawa River system. Both outflows are controlled by dams to regulate the flow on the respective rivers.

Many fishing magazines and websites consider Cabonga Reservoir one of North America's top 20 walleye and northern pike waters. Also, Outdoor Canada magazine includes it among its "simply the best" hot spots for lake trout fishing.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Cabonga Reservoir (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Clinton-Colden Lake is the ninth largest lake in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is about 90 miles north of the eastern tip of the Great Slave Lake. George Back reached it in 1834.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Clinton-Colden Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The Caniapiscau Reservoir (French: Réservoir de Caniapiscau) is a reservoir on the upper Caniapiscau River in the Côte-Nord administrative region of the Canadian province of Quebec. It is the largest body of water in Quebec and the second largest reservoir in Canada.

The Caniapiscau Reservoir, formed by two dams and forty-three dikes, is the largest reservoir by surface area of the James Bay Project. As headpond, it feeds the power plants of the La Grande complex in the winter and provides up to 35% of their production. Its total catchment area is about 36,800 square kilometres (14,200 sq mi).

The reservoir was named after Lake Caniapiscau that was flooded during the formation of the reservoir. The name is an adaptation of the Cree or Innu toponym kâ-neyâpiskâw, which means "rocky point". Albert Peter Low had noted in 1895 that "a high rocky headland juts into the lake." He probably referred to the northwest facing peninsula that gives the reservoir the shape of an arc as we currently know it.

The Caniapiscau Reservoir is accessible by bush plane and, since 1981, by a gravel road from James Bay (the Trans-Taiga Road).

Adapted from Wikipedia: Caniapiscau Reservoir (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake Simcoe is a lake in southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake entirely within provincial boundaries, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century, the lake was called Ouentironk ("Beautiful Water") by the native Wendat/Ouendat (Huron) people. It was also known as Lake Taronto until it was renamed by John Graves Simcoe, the first lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada, in memory of his father, Captain John Simcoe of the Royal Navy. In Anishinaabemowin, the historical language of the First Nations living around this lake, namely Anishinaabek of Rama and Georgina Island First Nations, the lake is called Zhooniyaang-zaaga'igan, meaning "Silver Lake".

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Simcoe (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Big Trout Lake is a large lake in Northern Ontario. The Fawn River fills it from the west and drains it from the east. The reserve of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation, also known as Big Trout Lake, is on Post Island near the northern shore.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Big Trout Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Tathlina Lake is a large, shallow lake, located in the Northwest Territories, Canada. An outcropping of the Kakisa Formation occurs along the side of this lake.

This turbid lake, the 15th largest in the Northwest Territories, is located at an elevation of 269 metres, and has an average depth of only 1 metre. Due to this shallow depth, it is considered vulnerable to changes in such variables as water level and temperature, ice thickness, and dissolved oxygen levels. It has also been subject to fish kills.

Commercial fishing for walleye (Sander vitreus) commenced in 1953. However, during the 1960s to 1990s it experienced poor harvests. It has been closed to commercial fishing since 2000.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Tathlina Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake Diefenbaker is a reservoir and bifurcation lake in the southern part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was formed by the construction of the Gardiner Dam and the Qu'Appelle River Dam across the South Saskatchewan and Qu'Appelle Rivers respectively. Construction began in 1959 and the lake was filled in 1967. Lake Diefenbaker is the largest body of water in southern Saskatchewan, although Last Mountain Lake is the largest naturally occurring one. The lake was named after John G. Diefenbaker, a former Prime Minister of Canada.

Lake Diefenbaker provides water for domestic irrigation, drinking, and industrial uses. An extensive aqueduct (canal) system was built from the Gardiner Dam called the South Saskatchewan River Project. From the east-side of Gardiner Dam, the aqueduct system heads in a generally north-easterly direction ending at Dellwood Reservoir north-east of Little Manitou Lake in the RM of Usborne No. 310. Reservoirs along the course of the canal include Broderick Reservoir, Brightwater Reservoir, Indi Lake, Blackstrap Lake, Bradwell Reservoir, and Zelma Reservoir.

Along the lake's shores, there are several parks, protected areas, and communities.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Diefenbaker (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lac Île-à-la-Crosse is a Y-shaped lake in the north-central region of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan along the course of the Churchill River. At the centre of the "Y" is the village of Île-à-la-Crosse, the second oldest community in Saskatchewan. Situated at the confluence of the Churchill and Beaver Rivers, the lake was an important fur trading centre in the 18th and 19th centuries. The lake, and the community of Île-à-la-Crosse, are named after the game of Lacrosse as French voyageurs had witnessed local Indians playing the game on an island in the lake.

Lac Île-à-la-Crosse is reached from the south by Highway 155, which follows the Beaver River. On the north side of the mouth of the Beaver River is the Île-à-la-Crosse Indian reserve. On the south side is Fort Black, the site of a former North West Trading Company Post. Highway 918 runs along the eastern shore and provides access to Patuanak and the Wapachewunak Indian reserve. The community of Île-à-la-Crosse is reached from Highway 908. There are two airports — Île-à-la-Crosse Airport and Patuanak Airport — on the lake's shores.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lac Île-à-la-Crosse (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Bluenose Lake is a lake in Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is located north of the Arctic Circle within the large, shallow basin of the Melville Hills. It is approximately 33 mi (53 km) long, 12 mi (19 km) wide, and is situated at 1,800 ft (550 m) above sea level. The Croker River flows north from Bluenose Lake to the Arctic Ocean, entering at Dolphin and Union Strait.

It was officially named in 1953 by John Kelsall and James Mitchell subsequent to their biological investigation of the previously unnamed lake.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Bluenose Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake Kipawa (in French: Lac Kipawa) is a lake in far south-west Quebec, Canada, near the border with Ontario, north of Témiscaming, Quebec. Also see Kipawa River which is the only natural outflow of Kipawa Lake, Gordon Creek in Témiscaming on the south end being artificial.

Lake Kipawa is currently the source of debate among Innergex and Hydro Quebec concerning water rights for their competing hydro electric projects.

Lake Kipawa has a highly irregular shape, with deep bays (such as Chemagan, des Plongeurs, du Huard, Dorval, Pratt, des Anglais, and Campbell) and large islands (notably McKenzie and aux Ours). It forms a vast labyrinth with many other interconnecting bodies of water. Bordering the lake are the communities of Kipawa, Laniel, and the Keboawek Reserve. The lake is popular with fishermen for its walleye and northern pike abundance, as well as a supply of trout. Various lodges (such as Kipawa Lodge which is located at Edward's Narrows and Alwaki Lodge, which is located on Thompson Island) bordering the lake offer hunting and fishing tours and accommodations.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Kipawa (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Teslin Lake is a large lake spanning the border between British Columbia and Yukon, Canada. It is one of a group of large lakes in the region of far northwestern BC, east of the upper Alaska Panhandle, which are the southern extremity of the basin of the Yukon River, and which are known in Yukon as "the Southern Lakes" (the other major ones in the group are Atlin Lake and Tagish Lake but include Bennett and Lindeman Lakes, the headwaters of the Yukon River itself). The lake is fed and drained primarily by the Teslin River, south and north, but is also fed from the east by the Jennings River and the Swift River, and from the west by the Hayes River.

According to the Yukon Geographical Names Project, "Teslin" means "long water", but in the Tlingit language the local kwaan or tribe of Tlingit is called Deisleen Kwáan", meaning "Big Sinew Tribe".

There are three Taku River Tlingit First Nation communities around the south end of the lake in British Columbia: Jennings River Indian Reserve No. 8, Teslin Lake Indian Reserve No. 7, and Teslin Lake Indian Reserve No. 9; in the same area there once was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Teslin Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Kinbasket Lake (or Kinbasket Reservoir) is a reservoir on the Columbia River in southeast British Columbia, north of the city of Revelstoke and the town of Golden. The reservoir was created by the construction of the Mica Dam. The lake includes two reaches, Columbia Reach (to the south) and Canoe Reach (to the north), referring to the river valleys flooded by the dam. To the north it almost reaches the town of Valemount in an impoundment of the Canoe River. To the south it reaches upstream the Columbia River towards the city of Golden.

The original, smaller Kinbasket Lake was named in 1866 after Kinbasket, a chief of the Shuswap people. The modern, large lake was created after the completion of the Mica Dam in 1973, and was called McNaughton Lake (after Andrew McNaughton) until 1980.

A number of small communities were inundated by the creation of Kinbasket Lake, and comprised a region known as the Big Bend Country, a subregion of the Columbia Country. Among these towns were Boat Encampment and Beavermouth. The Caribou Creek site offers a gravel boat launch.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Kinbasket Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Kluane Lake is located in the southwest area of Yukon. It is the largest lake contained entirely within Yukon with an area of approximately 408 km2 (158 sq mi), and a length of 81 km (50 mi).

Kluane Lake is located approximately 60 km (37 mi) northwest of Haines Junction. The Alaska Highway follows most of the south side of Kluane Lake and offers lake views. The lake has a mean depth of 31 m (102 ft) and a maximum depth of 91 m (299 ft).

It is situated within the Kluane First Nation and White River First Nation territories, adjacent to the traditional territory of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Kluane Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Tobin Lake is a reservoir along the course of the Saskatchewan River in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Tobin Lake was formed by the building of the E.B. Campbell Dam (known as Squaw Rapids Dam until 1983) on the Saskatchewan River in 1963. Tobin Lake is named for William Thorburn, who was a fur trader on the Saskatchewan River. He had built a trading post on the Saskatchewan River where it is met by the Petaigan River. The rapids near the post became known as the "Thornburn Rapids". The name was later shortened to "Tobin Rapids".

The town of Nipawin is near the western end of the lake and upstream from Nipawin along the Saskatchewan River is Codette Lake, which was formed by the construction of the Francois-Finlay Dam in 1986. Situated between these two man-made lakes, Nipawin earned the nickname The Town of Two Lakes.

Most of the lake is in the RMs of Moose Range No. 486 and Torch River No. 488; the northernmost shoreline is in the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District. Access to the west and north side of the lake is from Highway 35, the east side from Highway 123, and on the south-west corner from Highway 255.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Tobin Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Minnitaki Lake is a large lake with numerous islands in Kenora District, Ontario, Canada. The nearest city is Sioux Lookout.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Minnitaki Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The Dozois Reservoir (French: Réservoir Dozois) is a man-made lake in central Quebec, Canada. It is fully within the unorganized territory of Réservoir-Dozois and the La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve.

Dozois Reservoir, located about 10 kilometers west of Cabonga Reservoir and about 15 km east of Great Victoria Lake, is fed by the Chochocouane, Capitachouane, and Ottawa Rivers. It is accessible directly off Quebec Route 117.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Dozois Reservoir (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The Arrow Lakes in British Columbia, Canada, divided into Upper Arrow Lake and Lower Arrow Lake, are widenings of the Columbia River. The lakes are situated between the Selkirk Mountains to the east and the Monashee Mountains to the west. Beachland is fairly rare and is interspersed with rocky headlands and steep cliffs. Mountain sides are heavily forested, and rise sharply to elevations around 2,600 metres (8,500 ft).

Originally two lakes 23 kilometres (14 mi) apart, the Arrow Lakes became one 230-kilometre-long (140 mi) lake due to the reservoir created by the 1960s construction of the Keenleyside Dam; at low water the two lakes remain distinct, connected by a fast-moving section known as the Narrows. Damming the Lower Arrow Lake resulted in water rising 12 metres (39 ft) above natural levels. As a result of higher water, the valley lost two-thirds of its arable land. Approximately two thousand people were relocated. The Arrow Lakes stretches from just north of Castlegar in the south to Revelstoke in the north. Another hydroelectric development Whatshan Dam, diverted Whatshan Lake from the Whatshan River directly into the Arrow Lakes, just north of the Needles-Fauquier Ferry.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Arrow Lakes (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Big Rideau Lake is a lake in the municipalities of Tay Valley and Drummond/North Elmsley, Lanark County and Rideau Lakes, United Counties of Leeds and Grenville in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The lake is on the border between the two counties, 72 kilometres (45 mi) to the southwest of Ottawa. It is 32 kilometres (20 mi) long and is 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) wide, is much narrower at its northeastern end than at its southwestern end, and is part of the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin. It is the largest lake on the Rideau Canal, which was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 2007.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Big Rideau Lake (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Lake Rossignol is a freshwater lake in Nova Scotia, Canada. At more than 32 kilometers in length, Rossignol is the largest freshwater lake in the province. It is located in Nova Scotia's southwestern interior, in Queens County.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Rossignol (CC BY-SA 4.0).