Churchill Lake

Churchill Lake
Churchill Lake at Buffalo Narrows
Churchill Lake
Location in Saskatchewan
Churchill Lake
Churchill Lake (Canada)
NASA map showing Churchill Lake
LocationNorthern Saskatchewan Administration District
Coordinates55°55′N 108°20′W / 55.917°N 108.333°W / 55.917; -108.333
TypeGlacial lake
Part ofChurchill River drainage basin
Primary inflowsKisis Channel from Peter Pond Lake, Simonds Channel from Frobisher Lake
Primary outflowsChurchill River (MacBeth Channel) to Lac Île-à-la-Crosse
Catchment area7,874 km2 (3,040 sq mi)
Basin countriesCanada
Surface area559 km2 (216 sq mi)
Average depth9 m (30 ft)
Max. depth24 m (79 ft)
Water volume4.88 km3 (1.17 cu mi)
Residence time2 years
Shore length1212 km (132 mi)
Surface elevation421 m (1,381 ft)
Islands
  • McKay Island
  • Allan Island
  • Page Island
  • Hay Island
  • Eagle Island
  • Akimau Island
Settlements
References
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Churchill Lake is a large glacial lake in the north-western part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is the source of the 1,609-kilometre (1,000 mi) long Churchill River, which flows east into Hudson Bay. Frobisher Lake flows into Churchill Lake from the north through Simonds Channel and Peter Pond Lake flows in from the east through Kisis Channel. The outflow is at the southern end through MacBeth Channel, which flows south into Lac Île-à-la-Crosse. The lake can freeze from as early as November and remain frozen till May.

The village of Buffalo Narrows is on the south-western shore near Kisis Channel and the Churchill Lake Indian reserve is at the northern end. Churchill Lake Outfitting is on the north-western shore. Access to the lake is from Highway 155 (which crosses Kisis Channel) and Buffalo Narrows Airport.