Lake · Canada
Lac la Martre
Lac la Martre is the third-largest lake in Canada's Northwest Territories. It lies north-west of Great Slave Lake and is named after the pine marten, a small hunting animal.
Picture credit: Brad Carrier (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Brad Carrier (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Lac la Martre?
Countries on its shores: Canada.
Middle of the lake: 63.24° N, 117.64° W
The story behind it
Lac la Martre lies 265 metres above sea level in the far north of Canada. It is about 76 km long. Its water surface measures 1 687 km²; together with its islands, it covers about 1 776 km². On old maps it was called Martin Lake. Later it got its French name, probably because many pine martens live in the area. On the south-eastern shore lies the village of Whatì, about 164 km north-west of Yellowknife. Its name in the Tłı̨chǫ language means 'Marten Lake'. The Tłı̨chǫ people, also called Dogrib Dene, have long hunted in this area rich in wildlife. A trading post was set up here as early as 1793. For many years, the village could be reached only by plane or by a winter road over snow and ice; since 2021 a highway leads there. The lake drains east through the La Martre River to the Marian River and on to Great Slave Lake.
Find it on the globe
Lac la Martre is there as a small blue dot with its name, right on the water. From far away the planet is only a blue ball; detail arrives as you zoom in, and this one appears once you are close enough. Open it on the globe.
It sits at its real coordinates, not near them — the same numbers listed in the facts above. Switch off the layer for this kind of place and it disappears again; the buttons for that are down the right-hand edge.
Questions children ask
How big is Lac la Martre?
Its water surface measures 1 687 km². Together with its islands, the lake covers about 1 776 km² and is about 76 km long.
Where does the name Lac la Martre come from?
It is French for 'Marten Lake'. The lake was probably named after the many pine martens in the area.
Who lives on the shore of Lac la Martre?
On the south-eastern shore lies Whatì, a village of the Tłı̨chǫ people. In 2021 about 540 people lived there.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
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