Lac la Ronge

Lac la Ronge is a glacial lake in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is the fifth largest lake in the province and is approximately 250 kilometres (160 mi) north of Prince Albert, on the edge of the Canadian Shield. La Ronge, Air Ronge, and the Lac La Ronge First Nation are on the western shore. The lake is a popular vacation spot. Recreational activities include fishing, boating, canoeing, hiking, and camping.

Lac la Ronge
NASA image of Lac la Ronge
Lac la Ronge is located in Saskatchewan
Lac la Ronge
Lac la Ronge
Location of Lac la Ronge in Saskatchewan
Lac la Ronge is located in Canada
Lac la Ronge
Lac la Ronge
Lac la Ronge (Canada)
LocationNorthern Saskatchewan Administration District
Coordinates55°10′N 105°00′W
TypeGlacial lake
Primary inflows
Primary outflowsRapid River
Catchment area10,000 km2 (3,900 sq mi)
Basin countriesCanada
Surface area1,413 km2 (546 sq mi)
Average depth14.6 m (48 ft)
Max. depth42.1 m (138 ft)
Water volume17.6 km3 (14,300,000 acre⋅ft)
Shore length11,015 km (631 mi)
Surface elevation364 m (1,194 ft)
Islands1,305
Settlements
References[1][2]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Recreation and access
Island on Lac la Ronge

Lac La Ronge Provincial Park extends around the lake on three sides, starting at La Ronge and ending along the east shore.[3] The park contains four RV parks, two of which are on the west shore of the lake, one is in the town of Missinipe (Missinipe is the Woodland Cree name for the Churchill River which is on the south-west shore of Otter Lake, which flows through the north side of the park), and the fourth one is on the east shore of Nemeiben Lake. There is also a hunting and fishing lodge 26 km north of La Ronge. Nistowiak Falls, on the Rapid River, which is the lake's primary outflow into the Churchill River and one of the tallest falls in Saskatchewan can be observed by canoe trails on the north side of the park.

Highway 2 passes the lake on the west side, ending at La Ronge, where it becomes Highway 102. Stanley Mission can be accessed by Highway 915 on the north side of the park. The community is on the shores of the Churchill River across from the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Saskatchewan's oldest building.

Fish species

The lake's fish species include: walleye, sauger, yellow perch, northern pike, lake trout, lake whitefish, cisco, white sucker, longnose sucker, and burbot.[4]

Unlike other lakes in Saskatchewan, in addition to the usual angling licence a special endorsement is required in order to fish on Lac la Ronge. The endorsement itself is free of charge and is available from the office of the Ministry of Environment in La Ronge. Beginning in 2015, the Ministry also requires anglers to keep a "Harvest Ledger", which is given alongside the endorsement. In May 2017 when the 2017-2018 fishing season opened the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment lifted the endorsement and "Harvest Ledger" based on fish numbers in the lake rising to high numbers again.[5]

Island ecology

The lake's numerous islands have been the focus of biogeography studies investigating how island size and isolation influence the wildlife inhabiting them.[6] In the northern half of the lake, you'll find over 1,300 ice age–carved granite islands.[7]

Lac la Ronge Dam

The Lac la Ronge Dam, which is an embankment dam, was constructed at the source of the Rapid River in 1966 to regulate the lake's water level. The dam is 3.1 m (10 ft) high and contains four gates. The dam was upgraded in 2007 and a fish ladder was installed.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Principal lakes, elevation and area, by province and territory". Statistics Canada. 2 February 2005. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  2. "World Lake Database (Lakes in Canada)". Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  3. "Natural Resources Canada-Canadian Geographical Names (Lac la Ronge)". Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  4. "Fish Species of Saskatchewan" (PDF). Saskatchewan Watershed Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
  5. http://environment.gov.sk.ca/adx/aspx/adxGetMedia.aspx?DocID=bc022bb7-684b-4547-b064-49526fb40a99 Saskatchewan Anglers' Guide 2014
  6. Bell, Aaron J.; Phillips, Iain D.; Nielsen, Scott E.; Spence, John R. (2017). "Species traits modify the species-area relationship in ground-beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages on islands in a boreal lake". PLOS ONE. 12 (12): e0190174. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1290174B. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0190174. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 5738139. PMID 29261805.
  7. "Cottage real estate region: Lac la Ronge". Cottage Life. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  8. "Dams and Reservoirs". Saskatchewan Water Security Agency. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
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