Reindeer Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Reindeer Lake |
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NASA satellite map of Reindeer Lake
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 Reindeer Lake
Location in Saskatchewan
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| Location | Division No. 18, Saskatchewan / Division No. 23, Manitoba |
| Coordinates | 57°18′N 102°22′W / 57.300°N 102.367°W |
| Lake type | Glacial |
| Primary inflows | Cochrane River (Canada) |
| Primary outflows | Reindeer River |
| Catchment area | 60,000 km2 (23,000 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 230 km (140 mi) |
| Max. width | 60 km (37 mi) |
| Surface area | 5,650 km2 (2,180 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 17 m (56 ft) |
| Max. depth | 219 m (719 ft) |
| Water volume | 95.25 km3 (77,220,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Residence time | 9 years |
| Shore length1 | 3,394 km (2,109 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 337 m (1,106 ft) |
| Islands | numerous |
| Settlements | Kinoosao, Brochet, Southend |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Reindeer Lake is a really big lake in Western Canada. It sits right on the border between two provinces: Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Most of the lake (about 92%) is in Saskatchewan.
Its name, Reindeer Lake, probably comes from an old Algonquian word. This huge lake is the 24th largest lake in the whole world! It's also the second-biggest lake in Saskatchewan and the ninth largest in all of Canada.
Lake Geography
Reindeer Lake has a shoreline that goes in and out a lot. It also has many small islands. You can find a few communities around the lake. Kinoosao is on the eastern shore. Brochet, Manitoba is at the northern end. And Southend is at the southern end.
The lake's water mostly flows south. It goes into the Reindeer River. From there, it joins the Churchill River. Finally, the water travels east to Hudson Bay. A special gate called the Whitesand Dam controls how much water leaves the lake.
Deep Bay Mystery
At the southern end of Reindeer Lake is a cool spot called Deep Bay. It's about 13 kilometers (8 miles) wide and 220 meters (720 feet) deep. Scientists believe this deep, round bay was made by a huge meteorite that hit the Earth about 99 million years ago.
Local Cree legends also say that Deep Bay is home to a mysterious lake monster!
Fishing Fun
Fishing is a very important activity in the Reindeer Lake area. Many people come here to fish for sport because the water is so clear and deep. You can often catch really big pike here, which are a type of fish. Some people also fish for a living, but not too much, to keep the lake healthy.
You can find many different kinds of fish in Reindeer Lake, including:
- Walleye
- Yellow perch
- Northern pike
- Lake trout
- Arctic grayling
- Lake whitefish
- Cisco
- Round whitefish
- Burbot
- White sucker
- Longnose sucker
There are also several places around the lake, on bays and islands, where people can stay and go fishing. These are called fishing lodges.
NORAD Tracks Santa
For many years, Reindeer Lake was a special place featured by NORAD Tracks Santa. From 2002 to 2011, NORAD used "Santa Cams" to show Santa flying over different places. Reindeer Lake was one of those featured locations! After 2011, NORAD changed how they showed Santa's journey, focusing on bigger regions instead of individual cities or lakes.
See also
In Spanish: Lago Reindeer para niños
