Stuart Lake
Canada · Americas
About
Stuart Lake, or Nak'albun ("Mount Pope Lake", Athapascan pronunciation: [nakʼalpʌn]) in the Carrier (Dakelh) language is a lake situated in the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The town of Fort St. James is situated by the lake near the outlet (Stuart River or Nak'alkoh - ″Mount Pope River″). Stuart Lake is 66 kilometres (41 mi) long, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) wide and relatively shallow, with an average depth of 26 metres (85 ft). There are several privately owned islands on Stuart lake.
Stuart Lake offers a variety of recreational activities, including boating, canoeing, kayaking swimming, and sunbathing at sandy beaches. Fishing enthusiasts can enjoy the abundance of fish in the lake, while water skiing provides thrills for adrenaline seekers. Visitors can also explore ancient indigenous pictographs, camp in the surrounding areas, and engage in snowmobiling, ice fishing, ice sailing, and dog sledding during the winter months. Two provincial park campgrounds, Paarens Beach and Sowchea Bay, as well as a small municipal campground, are located on the southern shore of the lake. Additionally, there are several motels, lodges, and private campgrounds in the area to accommodate visitors. Moorage facilities are available at several marinas for those arriving by boat.
Fort St. James has several lumber mills as do several smaller aboriginal communities in the basin. The lake is usually ice-covered from mid-December to early May. Stuart Lake contains rainbow trout, char or lake trout, whitefish, kokanee, Dolly Varden, burbot fish and in deeper areas sturgeon (protected).
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.