Lac la Ronge

Lac la Ronge is a glacial lake in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is the fifth largest lake in the province.

Lac la Ronge
NASA image of Lac la Ronge
Lac la Ronge
Location of Lac la Ronge in Saskatchewan
LocationSaskatchewan
Coordinates55°10′N 105°00′W
Typeglacial lake
Primary inflowsMontreal River, Bow River, Nemeiben River, Nikepamew River
Primary outflowsRapid River (Churchill 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)
Islands1305
SettlementsLa Ronge, Air Ronge, Lac La Ronge First Nation
References[1][2]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

It 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 west shore. The lake is a popular vacation spot. Recreational activities include fishing, boating, canoeing, hiking, and camping.

The Lac la Ronge Dam, 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 metres high and contains four gates. The dam was upgraded in 2007 and a fish ladder was installed.[3]

Access
Island on Lac la Ronge

Lac La Ronge Provincial Park extends around the lake on 3 sides, starting at La Ronge and ending along the east shore.[4] The park contains 4 RV parks, 2 of which are on the west shore of the lake and one is on 2 streets in the town of Missinipe, which is on the southwest shore of Otter Lake. Missinipe is the Woodland Cree name for the Churchill River, which flows through the north side of the park. 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 (Churchill 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.[5]

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.[6]

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.[7]

See also
  • List of lakes in Saskatchewan

References
  1. "Principal lakes, elevation and area, by province and territory". Statistics Canada. 2005-02-02. Retrieved 2012-10-22.
  2. "World Lake Database (Lakes in Canada)". Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2015-02-21.
  3. "Dams and Reservoirs". Saskatchewan Water Security Agency. Retrieved 2012-10-22.
  4. "Natural Resources Canada-Canadian Geographical Names (Lac la Ronge)". Retrieved 2014-08-29.
  5. "Fish Species of Saskatchewan" (PDF). Saskatchewan Watershed Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  6. http://environment.gov.sk.ca/adx/aspx/adxGetMedia.aspx?DocID=bc022bb7-684b-4547-b064-49526fb40a99 Saskatchewan Anglers' Guide 2014
  7. 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. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0190174. ISSN 1932-6203.
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