Conestogo Lake
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| Conestogo Lake | |
|---|---|
| Conestogo Dam | |
 View from Conestogo Dam | |
  Conestogo Lake | |
| Location | Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°41′13″N 80°44′06″W / 43.687°N 80.735°W |
| Type | flood control dam/reservoir |
| Built | May 30, 1955 - October 15, 1958 |
| Construction engineer | C.A. Pitts Company |
| First flooded | October 15, 1958 |
Conestogo Lake is an artificial lake on the Conestogo River (a tributary of the Grand River) in Wellington County in Southwestern Ontario, Canada.[1] It is a reservoir with a flood control dam,[2] and covers approximately 628 ha (1,550 acres). 398 cottage lots are located around the lake.
Fishing is permitted in the lake and the catch may include: perch, walleye, crappie, and smallmouth bass. A recreational fishing licence is required for legal fishing in Ontario.
Flood control measures had been first used in the 1890s and also by the construction of the Shand Dam that gave form to Lake Belwood in 1942,[3] but a long-term solution was still needed.
The dam was proposed by the then Grand River Conservation Commission in 1952, but construction did not begin until 1955 due to local disputes, Hurricane Hazel and lack of government funding during the Korean War.[3] Construction of the dam was completed in late 1957 (roadwork and other items not relating to the dam control were completed afterwards) and officially opened in October 1958.