Quesnel Lake
Glacial lake in British Columbia, Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Quesnel Lake /kwɪˈnɛl/ is a glacial lake or fjord in British Columbia, Canada, and is the major tributary of the Fraser River. With a maximum depth of 511 m (1,677 ft), it is claimed to be the deepest fjord lake in the world,[1] the deepest lake in BC, and the third-deepest lake in North America, after Great Slave Lake and Crater Lake. The lake is Canadas deepest non-cryptodepression (the deepest point is well over mean sealevel).
Mitchell River
Niagara Creek[1]
| Quesnel Lake | |
|---|---|
Quesnel Lake | |
  Quesnel Lake Location within British Columbia | |
| Location | British Columbia, Canada |
| Coordinates | 52°32′N 121°2′W |
| Lake type | Glacial, fjord lake, oligotrophic[1] |
| Horsefly River Mitchell River Niagara Creek[1] | |
| Quesnel River (total 131m3)[1] | |
| 6,200 km2 (2,400 sq mi)[1] | |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 100 km (62 mi) from Likely to end of East arm,[2] 48 km (30 mi) North Arm |
| 266 km2 (103 sq mi)[1][2] | |
Average depth | 157 m (515 ft)[1][2] |
| Max. depth | 511 m (1,677 ft)[2] |
| 41.8 km3 (10.0 cu mi)[1][2] | |
| Residence time | 10.1 years[1][2] |
Shore length1 | 323.8 km (201.2 mi) |
Surface elevation | 728 m (2,388 ft)[3] |
| Settlements | Likely, Horsefly |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
On August 4, 2014, the tailings pond of Mount Polley mine burst, spilling tailings into Polley Lake and Quesnel Lake and temporarily depriving residents of Likely, British Columbia, of fresh water for household use.[4] In 2017, the Mount Polley mine was granted a permit to discharge mine wastewater into Quesnel Lake.[5]
Forestry, mining and fishing are popular in this area. Quesnel Lake is also a trophy lake because live bait or barbed hooks are not allowed. Catch-and-release restrictions apply to Steelhead fish shorter than 10 cm or longer than 50 cm. Rainbow trout, Dolly Varden and other species of lake trouts are common. Quesnel lake offers the ability to fish right from shore and along tributary streams, or to explore the lake by boat, kayak, canoe, or paddleboard during the summer months.[6]
