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. It comprises 8% of lake from Manitoba and 92% of lake from Saskatchewan.
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, Manitoba; 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 13Â km (8Â mi) wide and 220Â m (720Â ft) deep, is the site of a large meteorite impact dating about 140 million years ago. According to local legend, it is also the location of a monster which pulls animals through the ice in winter.
Development
Several early explorers including David Thompson 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.
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 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 Arctic Lodges, host fishing lodges.
NORAD Tracks Santa
Reindeer Lake was a featured Santa Cam location from the start of the 2002 NORAD Tracks Santa tracking season to the end of the 2011 season when NORAD opted to switch to a regional format the next year instead of the individual profiling of cities they had been doing.
References
External links
- Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan
- A brief history of Reindeer Lake