Quesnel Lake

Quesnel Lake
Quesnel Lake
Quesnel Lake
Location	British Columbia, Canada
Coordinates	52°32′N 121°2′W / 52.533°N 121.033°W / 52.533; -121.033
Lake type	Glacial, fjord lake, oligotrophic[1]
Primary inflows	Horsefly River Mitchell River Niagara Creek[1]
Primary outflows	Quesnel River (total 131m3)[1]
Catchment area	6,200 km2 (2,400 sq mi)[1]
Basin countries	Canada
Max. length	100 km (62 mi) from Likely to end of East arm,[2] 48 km (30 mi) North Arm
Surface area	266 km2 (103 sq mi)[1][2]
Average depth	157 m (515 ft)[1][2]
Max. depth	511 m (1,677 ft)[2]
Water volume	41.8 km3 (10.0 cu mi)[1][2]
Residence time	10.1 years[1][2]
Shore length1	323.8 km (201.2 mi)
Surface elevation	728 m (2,388 ft)[3]
Settlements	Likely, Horsefly
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Quesnel Lake /kwɪˈnɛl/ is a glacial lake or fjord in British Columbia, Canada, and is the major tributary of the Fraser River. With a maximum depth of 511 m (1,677 ft), it is claimed to be the deepest fjord lake in the world,^[1] the deepest lake in BC, and the third-deepest lake in North America, after Great Slave Lake and Crater Lake.

On August 4, 2014, the tailings pond of Mount Polley mine burst, spilling tailings into Polley Lake and Quesnel Lake and temporarily depriving residents of Likely, British Columbia, of fresh water for household use.^[4] In 2017, the Mount Polley mine was granted a permit to discharge mine wastewater into Quesnel Lake.^[5]

Forestry, mining and fishing are popular in this area. Quesnel Lake is also a trophy lake because live bait or barbed hooks are not allowed. Catch-and-release restrictions apply to Steelhead fish shorter than 10 cm or longer than 50 cm. Rainbow trout, Dolly Varden and other species of lake trouts are common. Quesnel lake offers the ability to fish right from shore and along tributary streams, or to explore the lake by boat, kayak, canoe, or paddleboard during the summer months.^[6]