Lac La Biche (Alberta)

For other uses, see Lac La Biche, Alberta (disambiguation).

Lac La Biche (/ˌlæk lə ˈbɪʃ/ LAK lə BISH) is a large lake in north-central Alberta, Canada. It is located along the Northern Woods and Water Route, 95 km east of Athabasca. Lac La Biche has a total area of 236 km² (91 sq mi),^[1] including 3.2 km² (1.2 sq mi) islands area.

Lac La Biche
Lac La Biche in Alberta
Lac La Biche
Location	Lac La Biche County, Alberta
Coordinates	54°51′23″N 112°03′32″W
Primary inflows	Owl River
Primary outflows	La Biche River
Basin countries	Canada
Max. length	20.7 km (12.9 mi)
Max. width	29.3 km (18.2 mi)
Surface area	234 km2 (90 sq mi)
Average depth	8.4 m (28 ft)
Max. depth	21.3 m (70 ft)
Surface elevation	544 m (1,785 ft)
Settlements	Lac La Biche, Plamondon, Barnegat, Owl River

Etymology

The southern shore seen from Lac La Biche.

The indigenous peoples of the area refer to the lake as Elk Lake (Cree: wâwâskesiwisâkahikan,^[2] Chipewyan: tzalith tway).^[3] Since the lake shares its name with the town, locals often use the redundant name "Lac La Biche Lake". La biche in French means 'the doe', as in female deer.

Hydrography

Owl River flows into the lake, and its waters are drained through the La Biche River and into the Athabasca River, placing it in the basin that flows to the Arctic Ocean. Just to the south is Beaver Lake which drains into Hudson Bay.

Settlements

The former town and population centre of Lac La Biche is on the southern shore of the lake. The communities of Plamondon, Barnegat and Owl River are also located around Lac La Biche.

Recreation

Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park is on an island of the lake.