Editing Lake Winnipeg

{{Distinguish|Lake Winnipegosis}}
{{Short description|Large glacial lake in Manitoba, Canada}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=April 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox body of water
 | name               = Lake Winnipeg
 | other_name         = {{langx|fr|Lac Winnipeg}}<br />{{langx|oj|Weenipagamiksaguygun}}
 | image_bathymetry   = Lake Winnipeg map.png
 | caption_bathymetry = Map
 | location           = [[Manitoba]], Canada
 | coords             = {{coord|52|7|N|97|15|W|type:waterbody_region:CA_scale:2500000|display=inline,title}}
 | lake_type          = [[Glacial lake|Glacial]]
 | inflow             = [[Winnipeg River]], [[Saskatchewan River]], [[Red River of the North|Red River]]
 | outflow            = [[Nelson River]]
| pushpin_map = Manitoba#Canada
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of the lake in Manitoba
 | catchment          = {{convert|982900|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
 | basin_countries    = [[Canada]] and the [[United States]]
 | length             = {{convert|416|km|mi|abbr=on}}
 | width              = {{convert|100|km|mi|-1|abbr=on}} (N Basin)<br/>{{convert|40|km|mi|-1|abbr=on}} (S Basin)
 | area               = {{convert|24514|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}
 | depth              = {{convert|12|m|ft|abbr=on}}
 | max-depth          = {{convert|36|m|ft|abbr=on}}
 | volume             = {{convert|294|km3|cumi|abbr=on}}<ref name=ManitobaQuickFacts>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship/water_quality/lake_winnipeg/facts.html |title=Lake Winnipeg Quick Facts |access-date=14 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311104704/http://www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship/water_quality/lake_winnipeg/facts.html |archive-date=11 March 2018 }}</ref>
 | residence_time = 3.5 years <ref>[http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/breakingnews/124536339.html Massive flood expected to take toll on Lake Winnipeg, feed algae blooms] [[Winnipeg Free Press]]</ref>
 | shore = {{convert|1858|km|mi|abbr=on}}
 | elevation = {{convert|217|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
 | islands =
 | cities = [[Gimli, Manitoba|Gimli]]
 | frozen =
}}

'''Lake Winnipeg''' ({{langx|fr|Lac Winnipeg}}) is a very large, relatively shallow {{convert|24514|km2|sqmi|adj=on}} [[lake]] in [[North America]], in the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian province]] of [[Manitoba]]. Its southern end is about {{convert|55|km|mi}} north of the city of [[Winnipeg]]. Lake Winnipeg is Canada's sixth-largest freshwater lake<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.greatcanadianlakes.com/gc_lakes/Canada/index.htm |title=Great Canadian Lakes |access-date=11 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070124111150/http://www.greatcanadianlakes.com/gc_lakes/Canada/index.htm |archive-date=24 January 2007 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> and the third-largest freshwater lake contained entirely within Canada, but it is relatively shallow (mean depth of {{convert|12|m|ft|0|abbr=on|disp=sqbr}})<ref>[http://www.ilec.or.jp/database/nam/nam-08.html International Lake Environment Committee] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210173421/http://www.ilec.or.jp/database/nam/nam-08.html |date=10 February 2007 }},</ref> excluding a narrow {{convert|36|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} deep channel between the northern and southern basins. It is the eleventh-largest freshwater lake on Earth. The lake's east side has pristine boreal forests and rivers that were in 2018 inscribed as [[Pimachiowin Aki]], a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The lake is {{convert|416|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} from north to south, with remote sandy beaches, large limestone cliffs, and many [[bat]] caves in some areas. [[Manitoba Hydro]] uses the lake as one of the largest reservoirs in the world. There are many islands, most of them undeveloped.

== Hydrography ==
[[File:NASA Lake Winnipeg.jpg|thumb|left|[[NASA]] false-colour image of Lake Winnipeg]]
Lake Winnipeg has the largest [[Drainage basin|watershed]] of any lake in Canada, receiving water from four provinces ([[Alberta]], [[Saskatchewan]], [[Ontario]] and [[Manitoba]]) and four [[U.S. state]]s: ([[North Dakota]] and [[Minnesota]] via tributaries of the [[Red River of the North|Red River]], [[South Dakota]] via rivers draining into [[Lake Traverse]], and [[Montana]] via tributaries of the [[Oldman River]]).<ref name="Stewart/Watkinson">{{cite book|last1=Stewart|first1=Kenneth W.|last2=Watkinson|first2=Douglas A.|title=The freshwater fishes of Manitoba|date=2004|publisher=Univ. of Manitoba Press, CN|location=Manitoba|isbn=0-88755-678-7|pages=10–11}}</ref> The lake's watershed measures about {{convert|982900|km2|sqmi}}.<ref>{{cite web |title= Canada Drainage Basins |year= 1985 |work= [[Atlas of Canada|The National Atlas of Canada]], 5th edition |publisher= [[Natural Resources Canada]] |url= http://geogratis.gc.ca/api/en/nrcan-rncan/ess-sst/7b309ad9-9398-51d4-89d2-32b3871ec3ab.html |access-date= 12 November 2014}}</ref>

Lake Winnipeg drains northward into the [[Nelson River]] at an average annual rate of 2,066 cubic metres per second (72,960&nbsp;cu&nbsp;ft/s) and forms part of the [[Hudson Bay]] watershed, which is one of the largest drainage basins in the world. This watershed area was known as [[Rupert's Land]] when the [[Hudson's Bay Company]] was [[Royal Charter|chartered in 1670]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

=== Tributaries ===
[[File:Nelson_river_basin_map.png|thumb|left|Nelson River drainage basin]]
The [[Saskatchewan River]] flows in from the west through [[Cedar Lake (Manitoba)|Cedar Lake]], the [[Red River of the North|Red River]] (including [[Assiniboine River]]) flows in from the south, and the [[Winnipeg River]] (draining [[Lake of the Woods]], [[Rainy River (Minnesota-Ontario)|Rainy River]] and [[Rainy Lake]]) enters from the southeast. The [[Dauphin River]] enters from the west, draining [[Lake Manitoba]] and [[Lake Winnipegosis]]. The [[Bloodvein River]], [[Berens River]], [[Poplar River (Manitoba)|Poplar River]] and the [[Manigotagan River]] flow in from the eastern side of the lake which is within the [[Canadian Shield]].

Other tributaries of Lake Winnipeg (clockwise from the south end) include Meleb Drain (drainage canal), Drunken River, Icelandic River, Washow Bay Creek, Sugar Creek, Beaver Creek, Mill Creek, Moose Creek, Fisher River, Jackhead River, Kinwow Bay Creek, Jackpine Creek, Mantagao River, Solomons Creek, Jumping Creek, Warpath River, South Two Rivers, North Two Rivers, South Twin Creek, North Twin Creek, Saskachaywiak Creek, Eating Point Creek, Woody Point Creeks, Muskwa Creek, Buffalo Creek, Fiddler Creek, Sturgeon Creek, Hungry River, Cypress Creek, William River, Bélanger River, Mukutawa River, Crane Creek, Kapawekapuk Creek, Marchand Creek, Leaf River, Pigeon River, Taskapekawe Creek, Bradbury River, Petopeko Creek, Loon Creek, Sanders Creek, Rice River, Wanipigow River, Barrie Creek, Mutch Creek, Sandy River, Black River, Sandy Creek, Catfish Creek, Jackfish Creek, Marais Creek, Brokenhead River and Devils Creek.<ref name="Natural Resources Canada map">{{cite web
| title = Natural Resources Canada-Canadian Geographical Names (Lake Winnipeg)
| url = http://www4.rncan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique/GBEIS
| access-date =2014-12-28}}</ref><ref name= "Atlas of Canada">{{cite web
| title =Atlas of Canada Toporama
| url =http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/toporama/index.html
| access-date =2014-12-28}}</ref>

==Geology==
Lake Winnipeg and [[Lake Manitoba]] are remnants of prehistoric [[Lake Agassiz|Glacial Lake Agassiz]], although there is evidence of a desiccated south basin of Lake Winnipeg approximately 4,000 years ago. The area between the lakes is called the [[Interlake Region]], and the whole region is called the Manitoba Lowlands.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

==Natural history==
===Fish===
The varying habitats found within the lake support a large number of fish species, more than any other lake in Canada west of the [[Great Lakes]].<ref name="Stewart/Watkinson"/>  Sixty of seventy-nine native species found in Manitoba are present in the lake.<ref name="Stewart/Watkinson_occurence">{{cite book|last1=Stewart|first1=Kenneth W.|last2=Watkinson|first2=Douglas A.|title=The freshwater fishes of Manitoba|date=2004|publisher=Univ. of Manitoba Press, CN|location=Manitoba|isbn=0-88755-678-7|pages=249–257}}</ref> Families represented include lampreys ([[Petromyzontidae]]), sturgeon ([[Acipenseridae]]), mooneyes ([[Hiodontidae]]), minnows ([[Cyprinidae]]), suckers ([[Catostomidae]]), catfish ([[Ictaluridae]]), pike ([[Esocidae]]), trout and whitefish ([[Salmonidae]]), troutperch ([[Percopsidae]]), codfish ([[Gadidae]]), sticklebacks ([[Gasterosteidae]]), sculpins ([[Cottidae]]), sunfish ([[Centrarchidae]]), perch ([[Percidae]]), and drum ([[Sciaenidae]]).<ref name="Stewart/Watkinson_occurence"/>

Two fish species present in the lake are considered to be at risk, the [[shortjaw cisco]] and the [[bigmouth buffalo]].<ref>{{cite web|title=COSEWIC Assessment and Update Status Report on the Shortjaw Cisco (Coregonus zenithicus) in Canada – 2009|url=http://www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=0379EBFF-1&offset=1&toc=show|website=Species at Risk Public Registry| date=26 October 2009 |publisher=Government of Canada, Environment|access-date=24 September 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=COSEWIC Assessment and Update Status Report on the Bigmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus) in Canada – 2009|url=http://www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=2CD0DE36-1|website=Species at Risk Public Registry| date=7 December 2009 |publisher=Government of Canada, Environment|access-date=24 September 2017|language=en}}</ref>

[[Rainbow trout]] and [[brown trout]] are stocked in Manitoba waters by provincial fisheries as part of a put and take program to support angling opportunities. Neither species is able to sustain itself independently in Manitoba.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Stewart|first1=Kenneth W.|last2=Watkinson|first2=Douglas A.|title=The freshwater fishes of Manitoba|date=2004|publisher=Univ. of Manitoba Press, CN|location=Manitoba|isbn=0-88755-678-7|pages=169–174}}</ref>
[[Smallmouth bass]] was first recorded from the lake in 2002, indicating populations introduced elsewhere in the watershed are now present in the lake.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Stewart|first1=Kenneth W.|last2=Watkinson|first2=Douglas A.|title=The freshwater fishes of Manitoba|date=2004|publisher=Univ. of Manitoba Press, CN|location=Manitoba|isbn=0-88755-678-7|pages=221–222}}</ref>
[[White bass]] were first recorded from the lake in 1963, ten years after being introduced into [[Baldhill Dam|Lake Ashtabula]] in North Dakota.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Stewart|first1=Kenneth W.|last2=Watkinson|first2=Douglas A.|title=The freshwater fishes of Manitoba|date=2004|publisher=Univ. of Manitoba Press, CN|location=Manitoba|isbn=0-88755-678-7|pages=208–209}}</ref>
[[Common carp]] were introduced to the lake through the [[Red River of the North]] and are firmly established.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Stewart|first1=Kenneth W.|last2=Watkinson|first2=Douglas A.|title=The freshwater fishes of Manitoba|date=2004|publisher=Univ. of Manitoba Press, CN|location=Manitoba|isbn=0-88755-678-7|page=22}}</ref>

===Birds===
Lake Winnipeg provides feeding and nesting sites for a wide variety of birds associated with water during the summer months. 
[[File:Hecla Island and Provincial Park in Lake Winnipeg Manitoba (14).JPG|thumb|[[American white pelican]]s loaf near shore, [[Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park]]]]
Isolated, uninhabited islands provide nesting sites for colonial nesting birds including pelicans, gulls and terns. Large marshes, shores and shallows allow these birds to successfully feed themselves and their young. [[Pipestone Rocks]] are considered a globally significant site for [[American white pelican]]s. In 1998, an estimated 3.7% of the world's population of this bird at the time were counted nesting on the rocky outcrops.<ref name="IBAMB012">{{cite web|title=Pipestone Rocks|url=http://www.ibacanada.com/site.jsp?siteID=MB012|website=Important Bird Areas Canada|publisher=Bird Studies Canada and Nature Canada|access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref> The same site is significant within North America for the numbers of colonial waterbirds using the area, especially [[common tern]]s.<ref name="IBAMB012"/> Other globally significant nesting areas are found at [[Gull Island (Lake Winnipeg)|Gull Island]] and [[Sandhill Island]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Gull and Sandhill Island|url=http://www.ibacanada.com/site.jsp?siteID=MB004|website=Important Bird Areas Canada|publisher=Bird Studies Canada and Nature Canada|access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref> [[Little George Island]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Little George Island|url=http://www.ibacanada.com/site.jsp?siteID=MB062|website=Important Bird Areas Canada|publisher=Bird Studies Canada and Nature Canada|access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref> and [[Louis Island]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Louis Island and Associated Reefs|url=http://www.ibacanada.com/site.jsp?siteID=MB086|website=Important Bird Areas Canada|publisher=Bird Studies Canada and Nature Canada|access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref> Birds nesting at these sites include common and [[Caspian tern]]s, [[American herring gull|herring gull]]s, [[ring-billed gull]]s, [[double-crested cormorant]]s and [[greater scaup]]s.

Lake Winnipeg has two sites considered globally important in the fall migration. Large populations of waterfowl and shorebirds use the sand bars east of [[Riverton, Manitoba|Riverton]] as a staging area for fall migration.<ref>{{cite web|title=Riverton Sandy Bar|url=http://www.ibacanada.com/site.jsp?siteID=MB091|website=Important Bird Areas Canada|publisher=Bird Studies Canada and Nature Canada|access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref> The [[Netley-Libau Marsh]], where the Red River enters Lake Winnipeg, is used by geese, ducks and swallows to gather for the southward migration.<ref>{{cite web|title=Netley-Libau Marsh|url=http://www.ibacanada.com/site.jsp?siteID=MB009|website=Important Bird Areas Canada|publisher=Bird Studies Canada and Nature Canada|access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref>

[[Piping plover]]s, an endangered species of shorebird, are found in several locations around the lake. The [[Gull Bay Spits]], south of the town of Grand Rapids, are considered nationally significant nesting sites for this species.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gull Bay Spits|url=http://www.ibacanada.com/site.jsp?siteID=MB053|website=Important Bird Areas Canada|publisher=Bird Studies Canada and Nature Canada|access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref>

===Protected areas===
* [[Beaver Creek Provincial Park (Manitoba)|Beaver Creek Provincial Park]]
* [[Camp Morton Provincial Park]]
* [[Elk Island Provincial Park]]
* [[Fisher Bay Provincial Park]]
* [[Grand Beach Provincial Park]]
* [[Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park]]
* [[Hnausa Beach Provincial Park]]
* [[Kinwow Provincial Park]]
* [[Patricia Beach Provincial Park]]
* [[Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park]]
* [[Winnipeg Beach Provincial Park]]

===Environmental issues===
{{main|Lake Winnipeg algae threat}}
Lake Winnipeg is suffering from many [[environmental issues]] such as an explosion in the population of [[cyanobacteria]], caused by excessive amounts of phosphorus seeping into the lake.<ref>[http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/11m-for-lake-winnipeg-49170002.html $1.1M for Lake Winnipeg - Winnipeg Free Press]</ref><ref>[http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/08/20/canada%e2%80%99s-sickest-lake Canada's sickest lake] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828031757/http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/08/20/canada%E2%80%99s-sickest-lake/ |date=28 August 2009 }},  MacLean's Magazine</ref>  The phosphorus levels are approaching a point that could be dangerous for human health.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lake Winnipeg at 'tipping point': report |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/lake-winnipeg-at-tipping-point-report-1.978527 |publisher=CBC News |date=31 May 2011}}</ref>

The [[Global Nature Fund]] declared Lake Winnipeg as the "threatened lake of the year" in 2013.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lake Winnipeg declared threatened lake of the year|url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/lake-winnipeg-declared-threatened-lake-of-year-189778541.html|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|date=5 February 2013}}</ref>

In 2015, there was a major uptick of [[zebra mussels]] in Lake Winnipeg, the reduction of which is next to impossible because of a lack of natural predators in the lake. The mussels are devastating to the ecological opportunities of the lake.<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/lake-winnipeg-zebra-mussels-lost-cause-eva-pip-1.3264283 Lake Winnipeg a lost cause - CBC Online]</ref>

== History ==
It is believed [[Henry Kelsey]] was the first European to see the lake, in 1690. He adopted the [[Cree language]] name for the lake: {{lang|cr-Latn|wīnipēk}} ({{lang|cr-Cans|ᐐᓂᐯᐠ}}), meaning "muddy waters". [[Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye|La Vérendrye]] referred to the lake as ''Ouinipigon'' when he built the first forts in the area in the 1730s. Later, the [[Red River Colony]] to its south took the lake's name for Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

Lake Winnipeg lies along one of the oldest trading routes in North America to have flown the [[British flag]]. For several centuries, furs were traded along this route between [[York Factory]] on Hudson Bay<ref name = "CanoeRoutesMorse">''Fur Trade Canoe Routes of Canada/ Then and Now'' by Eric W. Morse Canada National and Historic Parks Branch, first printing 1969.</ref> (which was the long-time headquarters for the Hudson's Bay Company) over Lake Winnipeg and the [[Red River Trails]] to the confluence of the [[Minnesota River|Minnesota]] and [[Mississippi River]]s at [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]]. This was a strategic trading route for the [[First British Empire]]. With the establishment of the [[Second British Empire]] after Britain's loss of the [[Thirteen Colonies]], a significant increase in trade occurred over Lake Winnipeg between Rupert's Land and the [[United States]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

In 2016 the Indigenous place name ''Weenipagamiksaguygun'' was approved by the [[Geographical Names Board of Canada]]. It is an Anishinaabe name for the lake as used by the [[Poplar River First Nation]].<ref name="Language selection - Natural Resources Canada / Sélection de la langue - Ressources naturelles Canada 2017">{{cite web | title=Indigenous Place Names | website=Language selection - Natural Resources Canada / Sélection de la langue - Ressources naturelles Canada | date=2017-06-09 | url=https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/geography/indigenous-place-names/19739 | access-date=2022-11-22}}</ref>

== Economy ==
=== Transportation ===
Because of its length, the Lake Winnipeg water system and the lake was an important transportation route in the province before the railways reached Manitoba. It continued to be a major transportation route even after the railways reached the province. In addition to aboriginal canoes and [[York boat]]s, several steamboats plied the lake, including ''[[SS Anson Northup|Anson Northup]]'', ''[[SS City of Selkirk|City of Selkirk]]'', ''[[SS Colvile|Colvile]]'', ''[[SS Keenora|Keenora]]'', ''[[SS Premier|Premier]]'', ''[[SS Princess|Princess]]'', ''[[SS Winnitoba|Winnitoba]]'', ''[[SS Wolverine|Wolverine]]'' and most recently the diesel-powered ''[[MS Lord Selkirk II]]'' passenger cruise ship.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}

=== Communities ===
Communities on the lake include [[Grand Marais, Manitoba|Grand Marais]], [[Lester Beach (Manitoba)|Lester Beach]], [[Riverton, Manitoba|Riverton]], [[Gimli, Manitoba|Gimli]], [[Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba|Winnipeg Beach]], [[Victoria Beach, Manitoba|Victoria Beach]], [[Hillside Beach, Manitoba|Hillside Beach]], [[Pine Falls, Manitoba|Pine Falls]], [[Manigotagan, Manitoba|Manigotagan]], [[Berens River, Manitoba|Berens River]], [[Bloodvein First Nation|Bloodvein]], Sandy Hook, Albert Beach, [[Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park#Hecla Village|Hecla Village]] and [[Grand Rapids, Manitoba|Grand Rapids]]. A number of pleasure beaches are found on the southern end of the lake, which are popular in the summer, attracting many visitors from Winnipeg, approximately 80&nbsp;km south.
[[File:Gimli Manitoba Canada Panorama.jpg|thumb|800px|center|[[Rural Municipality of Gimli|Gimli]] on Lake Winnipeg.]]

=== Recreational Angling ===
Lake Winnipeg is widely recognized as a premier angling destination, attracting anglers from around the globe<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lacey |first=Elisha |date=28 January 2018 |title=Lake Winnipeg ice fishers reeling in 'fish of a lifetime' thanks to 1997 flood, says veteran angler |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/ice-fishers-world-records-lake-winnipeg-1.4499912 |work=CBC News}}</ref> "targeting it's abundant [[walleye]], [[sauger]] and [[channel catfish]] populations"<ref>{{Cite report |doi=10.4095/207523 |title=The fish and fisheries of Lake Winnipeg |last=Franzin |first=W G |last2=Stewart |first2=K W |date=1996 |publisher=Natural Resources Canada/CMSS/Information Management |last3=Heuring |first3=L |last4=Hanke |first4=G|doi-access=free }}</ref> along with northern pike, yellow perch, gold eye, mooneye.  Angling efforts vary from casting lines from shore, trolling its depths or dropping a line through the [[Ice fishing|ice]] in search of a [https://anglers.travelmanitoba.com/master_angler_search.asp?angler_type=master_angler&angler_fname=&angler_lname=&angler_id=&award_id=&species_id=2600&lakeID=Lake+Winnipeg&fmon=&fday=&fyear=&tmon=&tday=&tyear=&method=&sortby=date&view=grid&report=advanced&advanced=1&d=search#results Master Angler Walleye], considered to be a Walleye caught in Manitoba by hook and line measuring over 71cm (28").<ref>{{Cite web |title=Master Angler Award Rules |url=https://anglers.travelmanitoba.com/master-angler-program/rules/# |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=Master Angler Manitoba |language=en}}</ref>

As of 2010 "over 50,000 anglers fished more than 389,000 days on the Red River and Lake Winnipeg combined" and "contribute an estimated $20,000,000 to $32,000,000 annually.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=March 2020 |title=State of Lake Winnipeg 2nd Edition |url=https://www.gov.mb.ca/sd/pubs/water/lakes-beaches-rivers/state_lake_wpg_report_tech.pdf}}</ref> and as of 2018 that had grown to nearly 100,000 adult anglers fishing Lake Winnipeg and its southern tributaries, adding $102,000,000 to the provincial GDP supporting some 1,500 jobs.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-04 |title=Report shows economic impact of ice fishing on Lake Winnipeg |url=https://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/report-shows-economic-impact-of-ice-fishing-on-lake-winnipeg |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=Dickinson Press |language=en}}</ref> 

Many licensed outfitters offer a wide array of services from guided fishing trips to equipment rentals and accommodations in service of recreational anglers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Province of Manitoba {{!}} Environment and Climate |url=https://www.gov.mb.ca/sd/permits_licenses_approvals/lic-res-tourism-operators/index.html |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=www.gov.mb.ca |language=en}}</ref>

Recent introduction of new angling regulations aim to ensure the sustainability of the fishery, with an extended season closure during the spring walleye spawn, reduced possession limits, and an end to the retention of trophy sized fish.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Manitoba fishing limits causing concern among some tournament anglers - Winnipeg {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9683174/new-manitoba-fishing-limits-concern-tournament-anglers/ |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-29 |title=New angling regulations coming to Manitoba next month |url=https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/new-angling-regulations-coming-to-manitoba-next-month-1.6333750 |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=Winnipeg |language=en}}</ref>

=== Commercial fisheries ===
Lake Winnipeg has important commercial fisheries. It contributes 57% of the province's total production and 75% of the landed value of the harvest in Manitoba. Average annual landings from Lake Winnipeg from 2009 to 2015 were 6,539,739 kg, with an average value of $15,357,975.<ref name=":0" /> The lake was once the main source of [[goldeye]] in Canada, which is why the fish is sometimes called Winnipeg goldeye. [[Walleye]] and [[Freshwater whitefish|whitefish]] together account for over 90 percent of its commercial fishing.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship/fisheries/commercial/history.pdf|title=A profile of Manitoba's commercial fishery|publisher=Manitoba Water Stewardship (Department, Government of Manitoba)|date=14 May 2010|access-date=2011-07-29|archive-date=19 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119220441/http://www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship/fisheries/commercial/history.pdf}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of Islands of Lake Winnipeg]]
* [[List of lakes of Manitoba]]

== Citations ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== General and cited references ==
* Canadian Action Party (2006). [http://www.canadianactionparty.ca/cgi/page.cgi?aid=374&_id=128&zine=show Canadian action party release Devils Lake ruling]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* Casey, A. (November/December 2006). "Forgotten lake", Canadian Geographic, Vol. 126, Issue 6, pp.&nbsp;62–78
* Chliboyko, J. (November/December 2003). "Trouble flows north", Canadian Geographic, Vol. 123, Issue 6, p.&nbsp;23
* "Devil down south" (16 July 2005), ''The Economist'', Vol. 376, Issue 8435,. p.&nbsp;34
* GreenPeace, "[https://web.archive.org/web/20100219002054/http://blogs.greenpeace.ca/wp-content/photos/algae_bloom_on_Lake_Winnipeg.jpg Algae bloom on Lake Winnipeg]" (26 May 2008). Retrieved 2 February 2009
* ''Daily Commercial News and Construction Record'', "Ottawa asked to help block water diversion project: Devils Lake outlet recommended by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers" (20 October 2003), Vol. 76, Issue 198,. p.&nbsp;3
*Sexton, B. (2006) "Wastes control: Manitoba demands more scrutiny of North Dakota's water diversion scheme", Outdoor Canada, Vol. 34, Issue 1, p.&nbsp;32
* Warrington, Dr. P. (6 November 2001) "[http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wat/wq/reference/cyanophytes.html Aquatic pathogens: cyanophytes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118102301/http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wat/wq/reference/cyanophytes.html |date=18 January 2017 }}"
* Welch, M. A. (19 August 2008) "Winnipeg's algae invasion was forewarned more than 30 years ago", The Canadian Press
* Macleans (14 June 2004) "What ails Lake Winnipeg" Vol. 117, Issue 24, p.&nbsp;38.
* Wilderness Committee (2008) "[http://www.wildernesscommittee.org/campaigns/communities/toxins/reports/Vol27No01/images/01_slimy_wave.jpg Turning the tide on Lake Winnipeg and our health]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}"
* Canadian Geographical Names Database (2016) "[http://www4.nrcan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique/GBXYL Place names - Weenipagamiksaguygun]"

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Lake Winnipeg}}
* [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lake-winnipeg "Lake Winnipeg"]. ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''
* [http://www.lakewinnipegresearch.org Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180411094751/http://www.gov.mb.ca/waterstewardship/water_quality/lake_winnipeg/index.html Manitoba Water Stewardship - Lake Winnipeg]
* [http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~gmccullo/LWsat.htm Satellite images of Lake Winnipeg]
* [http://www.saillakewinnipeg.com Sail Lake Winnipeg] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120628214729/http://www.saillakewinnipeg.com/ |date=28 June 2012 }}
 
{{Canada topic|List of lakes of}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Lake Winnipeg| ]]
[[Category:Bodies of water of Eastman Region, Manitoba]]
[[Category:Hudson's Bay Company trading posts]]
[[Category:Lakes of Manitoba|Winnipeg]]
[[Category:Reservoirs in Canada|Winnipeg, Lake]]