Stuart Lake

Stuart Lake
Stuart Lake
Location	British Columbia
Group	Nechako Lakes
Coordinates	54°33′N 124°35′W / 54.550°N 124.583°W / 54.550; -124.583
Catchment area	14,600 km2 (5,600 sq mi)
Basin countries	Canada
Max. length	90 km (56 mi)
Max. width	13 km (8.1 mi)
Surface area	358 km2 (138 sq mi)
Average depth	26 m (85 ft)
Max. depth	95 m (312 ft)
Water volume	9.3 km3 (7,500,000 acre⋅ft)
Shore length1	170 km (110 mi)
Surface elevation	680 m (2,230 ft)
Settlements	Fort St. James
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Stuart Lake, or Nak'albun ("Mount Pope Lake", Athapascan pronunciation: [nakʼalpʌn]) in the Carrier (Dakelh) language^[1] 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).