Tagish Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tagish Lake |
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A portion of Tagish Lake (on the left half of the image) during the Winter, as seen from space. Windy Arm is in the upper left corner, while the Taku Arm is on the right centre. The lake seen on the right half of the image is Atlin Lake.
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 Tagish Lake
Location in Yukon
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| Location | Yukon, British Columbia |
| Coordinates | 60°00′N 134°15′W / 60.000°N 134.250°W |
| Primary inflows | Wann River, Swanson River, Fantail River, Tutshi River |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 100 km (62 mi) |
| Max. width | 2 km (1.2 mi) |
Tagish Lake is a beautiful lake located in Yukon and northern British Columbia, Canada. It stretches for over 100 km (62 mi) and is about 2 km (1 mi) wide. This makes it a long and narrow body of water.
The lake has two main parts, often called "arms." The Taku Arm is in the east and mostly lies in British Columbia. The Windy Arm is in the west and is mostly in Yukon. The Klondike Highway runs along the Windy Arm, south of a town called Carcross.
Long ago, during the exciting time of the Klondike Gold Rush, the northern part of Tagish Lake was an important route. Gold-seekers used this part of the lake to travel to the Klondike region, hoping to find their fortune.
What's in a Name?
The name Tagish comes from the Tagish people, who are an Indigenous group. In their old language, Tagish means "fish trap." This name likely refers to how the lake was used for fishing. Some people also say the name means "it (spring ice) is breaking up."
The Tagish Lake Meteorite
Imagine looking up at the sky and seeing a shooting star! On January 18, 2000, something even more amazing happened. A meteorite fell onto the frozen surface of the Taku Arm of Tagish Lake. This special space rock is now known as the "Tagish Lake meteorite."
Scientists were very excited about this event. They found several pieces of the meteorite and studied them carefully. Researchers from universities like the University of Calgary and University of Western Ontario, along with NASA, learned a lot from these fragments. Today, the meteorite pieces are kept safe in the University of Alberta meteorite collection.
Animal Life at Tagish Lake
Tagish Lake is a lively place for animals, especially birds. Every spring, many swans fly to the lake. They stop here to rest and wait for the ice to melt on lakes further north. It's a beautiful sight to see them gather on the water.
The lake is also famous for its fishing. It's part of the "Southern Lakes" area, which is known for excellent fishing. People come here hoping to catch large, impressive fish, often called "trophy fish."
