Lake Timiskaming

Lake Timiskaming
Lake Temiskaming
Lac Témiscamingue (French)
Lake Timiskaming is located in Ontario
Lake Timiskaming
Lake Timiskaming
LocationTimiskaming District / Nipissing District, Ontario and Témiscamingue Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Coordinates47°20′N 79°30′W / 47.333°N 79.500°W / 47.333; -79.500
TypeRift lake
Primary inflowsBlanche River, Ottawa River, Montreal River, Matabitchuan River
Primary outflowsOttawa River
Basin countriesCanada
Max. length110 km (68 mi)
Surface area304 km2 (117 sq mi)[1]
Average depth122 m (400 ft)[2]
Max. depth216 m (709 ft)
Water volume37.09 km3 (8.90 cu mi)[3]
Surface elevation178.40 m (585.3 ft)[4]
Islandsdu Collège, Mann Farr Island
SettlementsTemiskaming Shores

Ville-Marie, Quebec Ville-Marie, Quebec

Notre dam Du Nord
References[4]

Lake Timiskaming or Lake Temiskaming (French: Lac Témiscamingue) is a large freshwater lake on the provincial boundary between Ontario and Quebec, Canada. The lake, which forms part of the Ottawa River, is 110 km (68 mi) in length and covers an area of 304 km2 (117 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).[4] 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 body of water with rapid winds”

There are 30 species of fish in Lake Timiskaming, the best known are northern pike, sturgeon, lake trout, walleye, smallmouth bass, bullhead, carp, burbot, 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, which existed about 9,500 years ago.

For the trading post and some history see Fort Témiscamingue.

One of Canada's greatest boating tragedies occurred when twelve boys and a staff member of Ted Byfield's St John's School of Claremont died of drowning and hypothermia on a canoe trip on 11 June 1978 on the lake.[5]

Looking south over Lake Timiskaming from Fort Témiscamingue near Ville-Marie, Quebec.
  1. ^ Timiskaming Lake, on thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
  2. ^ Timiskaming Lake, on thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
  3. ^ Timiskaming Lake, on thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
  4. ^ a b c Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board - Principal Reservoirs Current Water Levels and System Constraints Archived 2008-12-05 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "History Through Our Eyes: June 13, 1978, canoe trip tragedy". The Gazette. Montreal. 13 June 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2020.