Cold Lake (Alberta)

Description

Cold Lake has a total surface area of 373 square kilometres (144 sq mi), 248 square kilometres (96 sq mi) of which is in Alberta. Except for the western shore, the lake is surrounded by protected areas such as the Cold Lake Provincial Park in Alberta and the Meadow Lake Provincial Park in Saskatchewan.

The city of Cold Lake is located on the south-western shore while the Cold Lake 149A and B Indian reserves of the Cold Lake First Nations are on the western and southern shores respectively. Cold Lake House was a trading post built by the Montreal traders in 1781 near present-day Beaver Crossing, Alberta, south of Cold Lake.

The Martineau River flows from Primrose Lake into Cold Lake, which in turn discharges through the Cold River. The Cold River travels through a series of lakes in Meadow Lake Provincial Park and ends as it empties into Lac des Îles. The Waterhen River, which is a major tributary of Beaver River, is the primary outflow for Lac des Îles and it continues east where it meets Beaver River, a major tributary of the Churchill River.

The lake has a native legend of a large lake monster, the "kinosoo", with many residents claiming to have evidence or have seen it.