Churchill Lake

Churchill Lake

Churchill Lake at Buffalo Narrows

NASA map showing Churchill Lake[1]
Location Saskatchewan
Coordinates 55°55′N 108°20′W / 55.917°N 108.333°WCoordinates: 55°55′N 108°20′W / 55.917°N 108.333°W
Type glacial lake
Primary inflows Peter Pond Lake, Frobisher Lake, MClusky River
Primary outflows Churchill River to Lac Île-à-la-Crosse
Catchment area 7,874 km2 (3,040 sq mi)
Basin countries Canada
Surface area 559 km2 (216 sq mi)
Average depth 9 m (30 ft)
Max. depth 24 m (79 ft)
Water volume 4.88 km3 (1.17 cu mi)
Shore length1 212 km (132 mi)
Surface elevation 421 m (1,381 ft)
Settlements Buffalo Narrows
References [2][3]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Churchill Lake is a glacial lake in north west Saskatchewan, Canada. Frobisher Lake flows in from the north while Peter Pond Lake flows in from the east through the Kisis Channel. Highway 155 crosses this channel at the village of Buffalo Narrows .

It is part of the Churchill River drainage basin. As the source of the Churchill River the length of the river (1,609 km (1,000 mi)) is measured from the north end of the lake to the Hudson Bay. The lake can freeze from as early as November and remain frozen till May.[2]

Historic map

John Franklin's 1819-1820 map.

John Franklin's Coppermine Expedition map of 1819–1822 shows details of the fur trade route from Île-à-la-Crosse to Methye Portage. Churchill Lake is shown as Clear Lake with its northern reaches still unknown. Also not yet surveyed are the waters of Wasekamio Lake, Turnor Lake then Frobisher Lake that flow from the north into Churchill Lake. From the northwest Lac La Loche (Methye Lake) then Peter Pond Lake (Buffalo Lake) flow into Churchill Lake. Clearwater Lake (or Clear Lake) was renamed Churchill Lake in 1944 [4] and Buffalo Lake was renamed Peter Pond Lake in 1932.[4]

Fish Species

Churchill Lake
Location of Churchill Lake in Saskatchewan

The lake's fish species include: walleye, sauger, yellow perch, northern pike, lake trout, lake whitefish, cisco, white sucker, longnose sucker and burbot.[5]

See also

References