Lake Manitoba
Large Manitoba lake with a legendary monster.
Lake Manitoba, a large lake in the Canadian province of Manitoba, sits about 75 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. Spanning 4,624 square kilometres, it ranks as Canada’s 14th largest lake and the 31st largest in the world. Its shores were originally home to the Assiniboine and Cree peoples, and European knowledge of the lake came through La Vérendrye in the mid-1730s. He and his sons used it as a route from Fort La Reine to explore the Saskatchewan River, and forts were later built along that river and on Cedar Lake. The lake also formed part of the fur trade route to Hudson Bay.
The name comes from the Cree *manitou-wapow* or Ojibwa *manidoobaa*, both meaning “straits of Manitou, the Great Spirit.” This refers to The Narrows in the centre of the lake, where the spirit was said to be heard—though exactly what was heard, and where, remains unclear. French explorers called it Lac des Prairies. Both the short-lived Republic of Manitobah and the province of Manitoba took their names from this lake.
For over a century, people have reported sightings of a serpent-like monster in the lake, named Manipogo, similar to Scotland’s Loch Ness Monster and British Columbia’s Ogopogo. These claims date back to around 1908.
Geographically, the lake is irregularly shaped and about 200 kilometres long. It is the smallest of three large lakes—the others being Lake Winnipeg and Lake Winnipegosis—that sit on the bed of the prehistoric Glacial Lake Agassiz. The lake splits into two connected but distinct basins: a small, irregular north basin and a much larger south basin. It drains into the Nelson River and Hudson Bay. The southern tip, 24 kilometres north of Portage la Prairie, ends in the Delta Marsh, a key stopover for migrating birds. Communities along the lake include Fairford, Steep Rock, St. Laurent, and Sandy Bay.
The lake’s main inflow comes from Lake Winnipegosis via the Waterhen River, contributing an average of 2.3 cubic kilometres annually. The Whitemud River and local runoff add about 0.317 cubic kilometres, and precipitation contributes roughly 2.2 cubic kilometres. From 1970 to 2003, the Portage Diversion added an average of 0.3044 cubic kilometres from the Assiniboine River. Lake Manitoba drains northeast into Lake Winnipeg through the Fairford River, Lake St. Martin, and the Dauphin River.
Quick Facts
- Location
- Manitoba
- Lake Type
- Glacial lake
- Inflow
- Waterhen River / Whitemud River
- Outflow
- Fairford River
- Catchment
- 54630 km2
- Countries
- Canada
- Length
- 200 km
- Area
- 4624 km2
- Salinity
- 0.35‰ (hyposaline)
- Max Depth
- 7 m
- Volume
- 14.1 km3
- Residence Time
- North basin: 2 years; South basin: 28 years
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Lake Manitoba was made known to Europeans by La Vérendrye in the mid-1730s. He and his sons travelled from Fort La Reine through this lake to explore the Saskatchewan River and its environs. Forts were established on both the Saskatchewan and Cedar Lake, and the lake was part of the fur trade route to Hudson Bay. The lake was known to French explorers as Lac des Prairies.
The lake's name comes from Cree 'manitou-wapow' or Ojibwa 'manidoobaa', both meaning 'straits of Manitou, the Great Spirit', a toponym referring to what are now called The Narrows in the centre of the lake. These narrows were an area where the spirit could be heard, though what exactly was heard and in what exact location remains a mystery.
For many years there have been claims that a monster similar to Scotland's Loch Ness Monster and British Columbia's Ogopogo lives in the lake. Named Manipogo, sightings of this serpent-like sea monster have been reported since roughly 1908.
Reader's Guide
Lake Manitoba is significant as one of three large lakes on the floor of prehistoric Glacial Lake Agassiz, alongside Lake Winnipeg and Lake Winnipegosis. It is part of the watershed of the Nelson River and Hudson Bay. The lake is subdivided into two connected basins: a small, irregular north basin and a much larger south basin. Its southern tip ends in the Delta Marsh, an important staging ground for migrating birds.
The lake is primarily fed by Lake Winnipegosis via the Waterhen River, with precipitation contributing about 40% of inflow. Nearly 50% of outflow is by evaporation, explaining its hyposaline nature. A concrete control dam across the Fairford River, constructed in 1961, helps regulate water levels between 247.0 and 247.7 metres above sea level.
Lake Manitoba is one of the three main lakes in Manitoba's $30-million annual commercial fishing industry. The main marketable fish species have changed from whitefish in the late 19th century to walleye, sauger, and yellow perch today. The total recorded catch of the commercial winter fishery has declined from 6.8 kilotonnes annually in the late 1940s to less than 2.0 kilotonnes in 2002.
Did You Know?
- Lake Manitoba is the 14th largest lake in Canada and the 31st largest in the world.
- The lake's name derives from Cree 'manitou-wapow' or Ojibwa 'manidoobaa', meaning 'straits of Manitou, the Great Spirit'.
- A lake monster named Manipogo has been reported in Lake Manitoba since roughly 1908.
- The short-lived Republic of Manitobah and the province of Manitoba both take their name from this lake.
More in Great Lakes Of The World 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced