Lake Ainslie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lake Ainslie
Lake Ainslie Location in Nova Scotia
Location	Inverness County, Nova Scotia
Coordinates	46°7′36″N 61°10′34″W / 46.12667°N 61.17611°W / 46.12667; -61.17611
Type	Glacial Lake
Primary inflows	Trout Brook
Primary outflows	Margaree River
Basin countries	Canada
Max. length	20 km (12 mi)
Max. width	7 km (4.3 mi)
Surface area	57.4 km2 (22.2 sq mi)
Average depth	5.75 m (18.9 ft)
Max. depth	18 m (59 ft)
Water volume	0.33 km3 (270,000 acre⋅ft)
Surface elevation	57 m (187 ft)
Islands	none
Settlements	Scotsville, MacCormick's Corner

Lake Ainslie on Cape Breton Island is the largest natural freshwater lake in Nova Scotia. The Southwest Margaree River starts at the lake and empties into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The lake is approximately 20 km long and averages 5 km in width.

Geography

The western shore of Lake Ainslie, looking north, at Hayes River, Nova Scotia.

Lake Ainslie was formed during the Pleistocene Epoch, about two million years ago, when glacial outwash blocked the drainage of the valley of Loch Ban. It is underlain primarily by sedimentary deposits of the Horton and Windsor Formations, dating back about 350 million years.

Fauna and Flora

A number of bald eagles nest around the lake.

Naming

The lake was named after George Robert Ainslie, the Lieutenant Governor of Cape Breton Island from 1816 to 1820, when Cape Breton became part of Nova Scotia.