Parent Lake facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Parent Lake
Watershed of Nottaway River
Parent Lake Location in Quebec
Location	Senneterre
Coordinates	48°39′08″N 77°03′49″W / 48.65222°N 77.06361°W / 48.65222; -77.06361
Primary inflows	South shore: Bell River (via " Passe à l’Épinette ") West shore (du Sud vers le Nord): Raymond creek, outlet of Tremblay Lake, Boucane River (via Boucane Lake) East shore (from South to North): Hibou River (Parent Lake), Brassier River, Mégiscane River, Sennetterre River, Robin River (Parent Lake), Delestres River.
Primary outflows	Bell River.
Basin countries	Canada
Max. length	53.0 kilometres (32.9 mi)
Max. width	6.0 kilometres (3.7 mi)
Surface area	122 kilometres (76 mi)
Surface elevation	301 metres (988 ft)

Parent Lake is a large lake in Quebec, Canada. It's actually a wider part of the Bell River, which flows northwest into Lake Matagami. You can find it in a marshy area of the Abitibi Regional County Municipality, not far from Senneterre and about 65 kilometres (40 mi) northeast of Val-d'Or.

This area is popular for outdoor activities and tourism.

Fun on Parent Lake

Boating and Exploring

Parent Lake is a great spot for fun outdoor activities like boating. You can start your boat trip from the railway bridge in Senneterre. From there, you can sail north for about 50 kilometres (31 mi) through a channel called "Chenal de l'Épinette." This channel connects to Parent Lake.

You can even go further into the lake's delta, which is where the river spreads out. You can explore about 4.2 kilometres (2.6 mi) more using the Robin River (Parent Lake). Or, you can go about 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) into Ignace Bay, where the Delestres River flows.

Getting There

The main road that helps people get to Parent Lake is Route 113. This road runs along the west side of the lake and connects the towns of Senneterre and Lebel-sur-Quévillon.

About the Lake

Size and Shape

Parent Lake is a very large lake with an interesting, irregular shape. It gets its water from many smaller streams and rivers. Some of the important rivers that flow into it are the Robin River and the Delestres River from the northeast, and the Mégiscane River from the southeast.

The lake is about 53 kilometres (33 mi) long and 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) wide. Its total area is almost 122 square kilometers.

Islands in the Lake

Parent Lake has several islands. The biggest one is Wigwam Island. Other notable islands include Bannerman Island and Prospect Island. There are also smaller islands like White Island, Round Island, and Real Island.

There are also special passages in the lake:

• The "Passe de l’Esturgeon" (which means Sturgeon Pass) is located between the east shore of the lake and Wigwam Island.
• The "Passe de l’Épinette" (Spruce Pass) connects the Senneterre Lake upstream. It's found between the west bank of the Bell River and a peninsula that points north.

Fishing in Parent Lake

If you enjoy fishing, Parent Lake is an excellent place to cast your line! You can catch different types of fish here, including:

• Walleye
• Pike
• Yellow perch

Why is it Called Parent Lake?

The name "Parent Lake" was given in 1921. Before that, the Algonquin people called it Chabogama or Shabogama. The lake was renamed to honor Simon-Napoléon Parent (1855–1920). He was a very important public figure in Quebec. He served as the mayor of Québec City and was also a former premier (like a governor or prime minister) of the province of Quebec.