Botsford Lake is a lake

Lake

A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

 in the Nelson River

Nelson River

The Nelson River is a river of north-central North America, in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Its full length is , it has mean discharge of , and has a drainage basin of , of which is in the United States...

 drainage basin

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

 in Kenora District

Kenora District, Ontario

Kenora District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It was created in 1907 from parts of Rainy River District. It is, geographically, the largest division in that province; at 407,192.66 km2 it comprises almost 38 percent of the province's land area...

 in northwestern

Northwestern Ontario

Northwestern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior, and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the Canadian province of Manitoba, which disputed Ontario's claim to the...

 Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. It is about 15 kilometres (9 mi) long and 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) wide, is at an elevation of 356 metres (1,168 ft), and lies between the settlements of Superior Junction

Superior Junction, Ontario

Superior Junction is a community in the town of Sioux Lookout, Kenora District in northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is on the Marchington River downstream of Botsford Lake and upstream of the river's mouth at Abram Lake on the English River.-Transportation:...

 and McDougall Mills

McDougall Mills, Ontario

McDougall Mills is an unincorporated place on the Marchington River between Botsford Lake and the McDougall Falls downstream and Marchington Lake upstream in Unorganized Kenora District in northwestern Ontario, Canada....

; Rosnel

Rosnel, Ontario

Rosnel is a railway point and unincorporated place on the south side of Botsford Lake on the Marchington River in Unorganized Kenora District in northwestern Ontario, Canada....

 is on the south shore of the lake. The CN

Canadian National Railway

The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....

 transcontinental rail line travels the along the entire south shore. Highway 642 runs west of the lake, and Highway 516

Highway 516 (Ontario)

Secondary Highway 516, commonly referred to as Highway 516, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The highway is in length, connecting Highway 642 near Sioux Lookout with Highway 599 north of Savant Lake....

 runs approximately parallel to the north shore of the lake at a distance of about 6 kilometres (4 mi).

The primary inflow and outflow is the Marchington River

Marchington River (Ontario)

The Marchington River is a river in the Hudson Bay drainage basin located in Kenora and Thunder Bay Districts in northwestern Ontario, Canada. It travels from its head at Kashaweogama Lake in Thunder Bay District through a series of lakes to Marchington Lake, where it meets the Sturgeon River and...

, coming in at the northeast end of the lake just downstream of McDougall Falls, and exiting at the southwest end a few kilometres upstream of the river's mouth at Abram Lake

Abram Lake (Kenora District, Ontario)

Abram Lake is a lake located adjacent to Sioux Lookout in the Kenora District of Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is at the mouth of the Marchington River and the confluence point of the Marchington River with the English River....

 on the English River

English River (Ontario)

The English River flows through Lac Seul to join the Winnipeg River. The river is 615 km in length. There are several hydroelectric plants on this river.Tributaries of this river include the Vermilion River and the Wabigoon River...

.