Wabatongushi Lake
| Wabatongushi Lake | |
|---|---|
| Location | Ontario |
| Coordinates | 48°26′30″N 84°12′30″W / 48.44167°N 84.20833°WCoordinates: 48°26′30″N 84°12′30″W / 48.44167°N 84.20833°W |
| Primary outflows | Lochalsh River |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 35 km (22 mi) |
| Max. depth | 175 ft (53 m) |
Wabatongushi Lake is a lake in Northern Ontario, Canada, fully within the Chapleau Crown Game Preserve. The lake is highly diversified in its topography. The north end of Wabatongushi is shallow with many low, swampy areas. This is perfect habitat for Northern Pike and hungry moose. The south half of the lake is much deeper, with a maximum depth of 175' located right off Loch Island. This set up is ideal for large game fish such as Walleye and Northern Pike. The shoreline on the south end is much higher, with exposed Pre-Cambrian shield plummeting straight into the tea-stained water. Large schools of bait fish congregate off of these shorelines which attract the game fish. Fishing is excellent in these locations on the south end near Loch Island. Wabatongushi is the top lake in a chain that stretches almost 100 miles, eventually draining into lake Superior. It sits on the crest of the northern watershed. Wabatongushi Lake was a traditional transportation route from Hudson Bay to Lake Superior for both First Nations and Voyageurs. Wabatongushi in the Ojibwa language approximately means "White Sand Lake".
The Algoma Central Railway is located at the Northwest end of Wabatongushi Lake at the Flag Stop Wabatong and provides passenger train access for fishing, wildlife and wilderness vacations, and for canoeing, kayaking and other wilderness recreation. Errington's Wilderness Island is a Fishing and Wilderness Vacation Lodge on an island 1.5 miles from the Algoma Central Railway that has been in operation since the mid-1950s. The Algoma Central Railway Passenger Train operates from Sault Ste Marie with a mid station at Hawk Junction just East of Wawa and has a northern terminus at Hearst. Wabatongushi Lake is about 2/3 of the way north on the route at milepost 206 north from Sault Ste Marie, approximately 42 miles north of Hawk Junction and approximately 90 miles south of Hearst.
The Canadian Pacific rail siding of Lochalsh is located at the south end of the lake and provides passenger train access for recreation by a VIA Rail Budd Car operating between Sudbury to White River. The Wabatong Lodge formerly known as The Open Season Sometimes Snowed Inn operates at the Rail stop in Lochalsh. They are known as having the best Coffee in the area. There are also two operating resorts on the south end of the lake. Loch Island Lodge is situated on an island in front of the only outflow of water, 5 miles north of the southernmost portion of the lake. Camp Lochalsh is at the extreme south end 1/2 mile from the old ghost town of Lochalsh on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Mostly undeveloped the lake has only 12 private lots. 7 of which are situated in cabin bay midway between the narrows and Lochalsh. Private fishing resort Portage Point Cabins is located on the point near the center of Cabin Bay. Patterson Island also on the South end of the lake has 2 homes constructed on it. A few private cabins are located in and near the narrows area central to the lake.