Opeongo Lake

Opeongo Lake is a lake in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin in the geographic townships of Bower, Dickson, Preston and Sproule in the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada.[1][3][4] It is the largest lake in Algonquin Provincial Park[5] and the source of the Opeongo River. The lake's name comes from the Algonquian word opeauwingauk meaning "sandy narrows".

Opeongo Lake
Opeongo Lake
Location of Opeongo Lake on a map of Southern Ontario
LocationNipissing District, Ontario
Coordinates45°42′43″N 78°22′16″W[1]
EtymologyAlgonquian opeauwingauk meaning "sandy narrows"
Part ofSaint Lawrence River drainage basin
Primary outflowsOpeongo River
Basin countriesCanada
Surface area58 km2 (22 sq mi)
Average depth14.6 m (48 ft)
Max. depth49.4 m (162 ft)
Surface elevation403 m (1,322 ft)[2]

It has three arms, North, East and South, joined by narrows into a Y shape. The total area is 58 km2 (22.4 sq mi), the average depth 14.6 m (48 ft) and the maximum depth 49.4 m (162 ft).[5] The primary outflow is the Opeongo River at the southeast tip of Annie Bay on the East Arm, controlled by the Opeongo Lake Dam, which flows via the Madawaska River to the Ottawa River.

A store with camping supplies and dock, Algonquin access point 11[6] and the Harkness Laboratory of Fisheries Research[5] are located on Sproule Bay at south end of South Arm and are all accessible from Ontario Highway 60. Consequently, the lake is a popular starting point for canoe trips into the interior of the park.

Opeongo lake was to have been the endpoint of the Opeongo Line, one of a series of settlement roads built to open up this section of the province. It was the endpoint of the Whitney and Opeongo Railway, used for logging operations until the 1920s. Portions of this route now form part of Ontario Highway 60 and the access road connecting the lake to Highway 60.

Tributaries

clockwise from Sproule Bay on the South Arm

  • Costello Creek
  • Sproule Creek
  • Von Creek
  • Graham Creek
  • Hailstorm Creek
  • Happy Isle Creek
  • Wright Creek
  • Cameron Creek

See also
  • List of lakes in Ontario

References
  1. "Opeongo Lake". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
  2. "Google Earth". Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  3. "Toporama (on-line map and search)". Atlas of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  4. "Ontario Geonames GIS (on-line map and search)". Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. 2014. Retrieved 2018-09-02.
  5. "A Little About Algonquin's Largest Lake". Harkness Laboratory of Fisheries Research. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
  6. "Lake Opeongo". Alqonquin Outfitters. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
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