Reindeer Lake
Encyclopedia
Reindeer Lake is a lake
in Western Canada
located on the border between northeastern Saskatchewan
and northwestern Manitoba
, with the majority in Saskatchewan. The name of the lake appears to be a translation of the Algonquian
name. It is the second-largest lake in Saskatchewan
and the ninth largest in Canada
.
, and at its southern end, Southend, Saskatchewan and Deep Bay, which covers an astrobleme which probably formed 100 million years ago. It drains mainly to the south, via the Reindeer River and a controlled weir
, to the Churchill River
and then east to Hudson Bay
. Water flow out of the lake is regulated by the Whitesand Dam.
Deep Bay
, located at the south end of the lake and measuring about 5 km (3 mi) wide and 220 m (720 ft) deep, is the site of a large meteorite impact dating about 140 million years ago. Deep Bay is also the alleged location of a monster which pulls animals through the ice in Winter. This has not been confirmed.
traveled through the lake, it did not serve a major role in the fur trade as only a few short lived trading posts were established. Today road access to the lake is provided by Highway 102
that terminates at Southend, Saskatchewan
and Highway 302.
Fish
species include walleye
, yellow perch
, northern pike
, lake trout
, arctic grayling
, lake whitefish
, cisco
, burbot
, white sucker
and longnose sucker
.
Several islands on Reindeer Lake, such as Tate Island
, host fishing lodges.
tracking season.
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 Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
located on the border between northeastern Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
and northwestern Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, with the majority in Saskatchewan. The name of the lake appears to be a translation of the Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
name. It is the second-largest lake in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
and the ninth largest in 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...
.
Geography
Reindeer Lake has a heavily indented shoreline and contains numerous small islands. On its eastern shore is the community of Kinoosao, at its northern end Brochet, ManitobaBrochet, Manitoba
Brochet is an unincorporated community located in Northern Manitoba near the Saskatchewan border . There is no year round road service to the mostly Cree people. A winter road is in place only a few months a year. Air service at Brochet Airport is the main link outside the community...
, and at its southern end, Southend, Saskatchewan and Deep Bay, which covers an astrobleme which probably formed 100 million years ago. It drains mainly to the south, via the Reindeer River and a controlled weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
, to the Churchill River
Churchill River (Hudson Bay)
The Churchill River is a major river in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada. From the head of the Churchill Lake it is 1,609 km long. It was named after John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and governor of the Hudson's Bay Company from 1685 to 1691...
and then east to Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
. Water flow out of the lake is regulated by the Whitesand Dam.
Deep Bay
Deep Bay crater
Deep Bay is a bay near the south-western tip of Reindeer Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada. The bay is strikingly circular and very deep in an otherwise irregular and shallow lake....
, located at the south end of the lake and measuring about 5 km (3 mi) wide and 220 m (720 ft) deep, is the site of a large meteorite impact dating about 140 million years ago. Deep Bay is also the alleged location of a monster which pulls animals through the ice in Winter. This has not been confirmed.
Development
Several early explorers including David ThompsonDavid Thompson (explorer)
David Thompson was an English-Canadian fur trader, surveyor, and map-maker, known to some native peoples as "Koo-Koo-Sint" or "the Stargazer"...
traveled through the lake, it did not serve a major role in the fur trade as only a few short lived trading posts were established. Today road access to the lake is provided by Highway 102
Saskatchewan Highway 102
Highway 102 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Highway 2 at La Ronge and Lac La Ronge Provincial Park to Southend, at Reindeer Lake. Highway 102 is about 216 km long, the majority of which is gravel surface....
that terminates at Southend, Saskatchewan
Southend, Saskatchewan
Southend is a small village in northeastern Saskatchewan, Canada. It sits at the southern end of Reindeer Lake, the ninth largest lake in Canada. It has around 700 in population. . The village is the terminus of Highway 102....
and Highway 302.
Fishing
Fishing is an important industry in the area and sport-fishermen are drawn by its clear and deep waters. Trophy-sized Pike are common at Reindeer Lake. The lake also supports commercial fishing.Fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
species include walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
, yellow perch
Yellow perch
The yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...
, northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
, lake trout
Lake trout
Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
, arctic grayling
Arctic grayling
Arctic grayling is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It comprises five subspecies native to the Nearctic and Palearctic ecozones. T. a. arcticus is widespread throughout the Arctic and Pacific drainages in Canada, Alaska, and Siberia, as well as the upper...
, lake whitefish
Lake whitefish
The lake whitefish , also called the Sault whitefish or gizzard fish, is a species of freshwater whitefish from North America. Lake whitefish are found throughout much of Canada and parts of the northern United States, including all of the Great Lakes. A valuable commercial fish, they are also...
, cisco
Cisco (fish)
The ciscoes are salmonid fish of the genus Coregonus that differ from other members of the genus in having upper and lower jaws of approximately equal length and high gillraker counts...
, burbot
Burbot
The burbot is the only gadiform fish inhabiting freshwaters. It is also known as mariah, the lawyer, and eelpout. It is closely related to the marine common ling and the cusk...
, white sucker
White Sucker
The White Sucker is a bottom-feeding freshwater fish inhabiting North America from Labrador in the north to Georgia and New Mexico in the south. It is a long, round-bodied fish with a dark green, grey, copper, brown, or black back and sides and a light underbelly. When fullgrown, it is between 12...
and longnose sucker
Longnose sucker
The longnose sucker, Catostomus catostomus, is a freshwater species of fish inhabiting cold, clear waters in North America from northern USA to the top of the continent. In addition, it is one of two species of sucker to inhabit Asia, specifically the rivers of eastern Siberia...
.
Several islands on Reindeer Lake, such as Tate Island
Tate Island
Tate Island is a small island on Reindeer Lake in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The Tate Island Lodge is accessible by float plane and located on the island....
, host fishing lodges.
NORAD Tracks Santa
Reindeer Lake has been a featured Santa Cam location since the start of the 2002 NORAD Tracks SantaNORAD Tracks Santa
NORAD Tracks Santa is an annual Christmas-themed entertainment program, which has existed since 1955, produced under the auspices of the North American Aerospace Defense Command...
tracking season.