Lake Nipissing

Lake Nipissing
  • Gichi-nibiinsing-zaaga’igan (Ojibwe)
  • Lac des Sorcières (French)
Satellite view of Lake Nipissing
Lake Nipissing is located in Ontario
Lake Nipissing
Lake Nipissing
Location in Ontario
LocationOntario
Coordinates46°16′12″N 079°47′24″W / 46.27000°N 79.79000°W / 46.27000; -79.79000
TypeMesotrophic
EtymologyOjibwe nibiinsing, meaning "at little water"
Primary inflowsSturgeon River, South River, Rivière Veuve
Primary outflowsFrench River
Catchment area12,300 km2 (4,700 sq mi)
Basin countriesCanada
Max. length65 km (40 mi)
Max. width25 km (16 mi)
Surface area873.3 km2 (337.2 sq mi)
Average depth4.5 m (15 ft)
Max. depth64 m (210 ft)
Water volume3.8 km3 (0.91 cu mi)
Shore length1795 km (494 mi) (+ 619 km (385 mi) islands)
Surface elevation196 m (643 ft)
IslandsNumerous
SettlementsNorth Bay
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.
Aerial view of Lake Nipissing and North Bay

Lake Nipissing (/ˈnɪpəsɪŋ/; 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.