| Lake Timiskaming | |
|---|---|
| Location | Timiskaming District / Nipissing District, Ontario and Témiscamingue Regional County Municipality, Quebec |
| Lake type | Rift lake |
| Primary inflows | Blanche River, Ottawa River, Montreal River, Matabitchuan River |
| Primary outflows | Ottawa River |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 110 km (68 mi) |
| Surface area | 295 km2 (114 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 216 m (709 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 178.40 m (585.3 ft)[1] |
| Islands | du Collège, Mann |
| Settlements | Temiskaming Shores |
| References | [1] |
Lake Timiskaming (French: Lac Témiscamingue) is a large freshwater lake on the provincial border between Ontario and Quebec, Canada. The lake, which forms part of the Ottawa River, is 110 kilometres (68 mi) in length and covers an area of almost 295 km2 (114 sq mi). Its water level ranges between 175 m (574 ft) and 179 m (587 ft) above sea-level, with a mean annual average of 178.4 m (585 ft).[1] The lake is in places up to 216 m (709 ft) deep. There are several islands on the lake, notably Mann and du Collège Islands.
The name is from the Algonquin Temikami or Temikaming, meaning "deep waters".
The lake and surrounding area are popular for outdoor recreation. On June 11, 1978, 12 children and 1 teacher from St. John's School of Ontario (defunct), Toronto, died of hypothermia, when their canoes capsized on a school canoe trip.[2]
There are 30 species of fish in Lake Timiskaming, the best known are northern pike, sturgeon, lake trout, walleye, smallmouth bass, bullhead, carp, ling, perch and whitefish.
The lake was shaped during the last ice age when glaciers carved into the rock. It is also the remnants of a huge basin called Lake Ojibway-Barlow, which existed about 9,500 years ago.
Lake Timiskaming is centered on a major rift valley that extends several hundred miles to the north-east called the Timiskaming Graben. It is the northern extension of the Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben, which is part of the Saint Lawrence rift system. There have been recent earthquakes along the rift valley, the most recent being in 2000. There are numerous faults in the area and has produced cliffs such as Devil's Rock, just 5 km (3 mi) south of Haileybury and is dated to be 2.2 billion years old. There are known kimberlite pipes within the rift valley that are considered to be diamondiferous.