{{Short description|Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada}} {{Use Canadian English|date=July 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox body of water | name = Besnard Lake | native_name = | native_name_lang = | other_name = | image = | image_size = 255px | alt = | caption = | image_bathymetry = | alt_bathymetry = | caption_bathymetry = | location = Northern Saskatchewan Administration District | group = | coordinates = {{coord|55.4167|-106.0005|type:landmark_region:CA-SK|display=inline,title}} | type = | etymology = | part_of = Churchill River drainage basin | inflow = | rivers = | outflow = Besnard Creek<ref>{{cite web |title=Besnard Creek|url=https://toponymes.rncan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique/HAKCB|website=Canadian Geographical Names Database |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref> | oceans = | catchment = | basin_countries = Canada | agency = | designation = | date-built = | engineer = | date-flooded = | length = {{cvt|43|km}} | width = | area = {{cvt|12500|ha}} | depth = | max-depth = {{cvt|25|m}} | volume = | residence_time = | salinity = | shore = {{cvt|400|km}} | elevation = {{cvt|390|m}} | temperature_high = | temperature_low = | frozen = | islands = {{hlist|Robertson Island | Alexander Island | Vicars Island | Wallace Island}} | islands_category = | sections = | trenches = | benches = | cities = ''None'' | pushpin_map = Saskatchewan#Canada | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_map_caption = Besnard Lake in Saskatchewan | website = | reference = }}
'''Besnard Lake''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɛ|z|n|ɜːr|d|}} {{respell|BEZ|nerd}}) is a lake in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan,<ref>{{cite web |title=Besnard Lake |url=https://toponymes.rncan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique/HAKCC|website=Canadian Geographical Names Database |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=1 January 2023}}</ref> {{convert|370|km}} north of Saskatoon and {{convert|50|km}} west of La Ronge. It supports a large population of bald eagles that have been the subject of ongoing studies since the 1960s.
The lake is {{convert|43|km}} from tip to tip with {{convert|400|km}} of shoreline.<ref name="cgSept">{{cite news|last1=Walker|first1=Nick|title=The Bald Eagles of Besnard Lake|work=Canadian Geographic|issue=September/October 2017|pages=63–71}}</ref> It has a surface area of {{convert|12500|ha}} and a maximum depth of {{convert|25|m}},<ref name="AA" /> at an elevation of about {{convert|390|m}}. At a narrows it is crossed by a bridge carrying Highway 910. This road was completed in 1973 and increased access to recreational fishing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Besnard Lake |url=https://www.gpsnauticalcharts.com/main/ca_sk_besnard_lake_sk-besnard-lake-nautical-chart.html |website=GPS Nautical Charts |publisher=Bist LLC. |access-date=2 January 2023}}</ref> There are over 250 islands on the lake, and the lakebed is rocky, making navigation difficult but creating a good habitat for fish.<ref name="AA">{{cite web|title=Besnard Lake|url=https://www.anglersatlas.com/place/690459/besnard-lake|website=Angler's Atlas|publisher=Goldstream Publishing|accessdate=26 September 2017}}</ref> There are cabins, campgrounds and fishing camps on the lake.<ref name="JG" /> There is a {{cvt|950|m}} airstrip about {{convert|1|km}} south of the lake.<ref>{{cite web|title=CS26 Besnard Lake Airstrip|url=http://airportnavfinder.com/airport/CS26/|accessdate=29 September 2017}}</ref>
Besnard Lake is within the Churchill River drainage system.<ref name="JG">{{cite web|last1=Gerrard|first1=Jon|last2=Gerrard|first2=P|last3=Dzus|first3=Elston|last4=Bortolotti|first4=Gary|last5=Scragg|first5=Emily|title=Population changes in water-associated birds at Besnard Lake, Saskatchewan 1976-200|url=https://www.usask.ca/biology/bortolotti/pubs/bj-64-149-154.pdf|publisher=University of Saskatchewan|accessdate=28 September 2017}}</ref> While much of the lake is in the Canadian Shield, its southern portion is in the boreal forest where the Mercer River brings nutrients which leads to healthy invertebrate populations that provide plenty of food for the fish which are the mainstay of the eagles' diet. They fish mainly for white sucker and cisco, and occasionally northern pike, walleye, and burbot. Compared to the nearby and similarly sized Nemeiben Lake, which is entirely on the shield, the eagle population has a higher density and stability.<ref name="cgSept" />
== Bald eagle studies == The bald eagle community at Besnard Lake has been studied continuously for over 50 years following their discovery there by Jon Gerrard. In that time eagle population dynamics, behaviour, growth, and migration have been studied, resulting in the publication of more than 50 scientific papers and the 1988 book ''The Bald Eagle: Haunts and Habits of a Wilderness Monarch''. Over 800 eagles have been banded, and have been found to winter mainly between Iowa and Missouri, Wyoming and Montana, but some have been found as far south as Texas, Arizona, and Southern California.<ref name="cgSept" />
In the 1960s it was considered that bald eagles were rare in Canada away from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. In 1966 Gerrard found 18 nests with 27 young in the area. A more extensive aerial survey of the region in 1974 found 14,000 eagles. Besnard Lake was found to be a perfect area to study bald eagles in these boreal breeding grounds. The lake has provided habitat for a stable population of about 100 eagles since the 1970s.<ref name="cgSept" />
One discovery was that the sex of immature eagles could be accurately and efficiently determined by measuring the size of the foot and length of the culmen on the beak. This led to the discovery that the sex of the young seems to be regulated by the quantity of food available, with more females (which are larger than the males) hatching when food is plentiful. On other lakes where food is less plentiful a higher ratio of males hatch.<ref name="cgSept" />
== Besnard Lake Recreation Site == '''Besnard Lake Recreation Site''' ({{Coord|55.4073|-106.0682|display=inline}})<ref>{{cite web |title=Besnard Lake Recreation Site |url=https://toponymes.rncan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique/HAWDH|website=Canadian Geographical Names Database |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=2 January 2022}}</ref> is a provincial recreation site on the south-western shore of Besnard Lake. Access is from Highway 910.<ref>{{cite web |title=Besnard Lake Recreation Site |url=https://www.brmbmaps.com/explore/canada/saskatchewan/saskatchewan/besnard-lake-recreation-site/26527 |website=BRMB |publisher=Mussio Ventures Ltd. |access-date=2 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Besnard Lake Lodge |url=https://www.tourismsaskatchewan.com/listings/456/besnard-lake-lodge |website=Tourism Saskatchewan |publisher=Government of Saskatchewan |access-date=2 January 2023}}</ref> There are two fishing lodges in the park at the lake. Besnard Lake Lodge has modern cabins, boat rentals, and guided fishing packages.<ref>{{cite web |title=Besnard Lake Lodge |url=https://www.besnardlake.com/ |website=Besnard Lake |publisher=Besnard Lake Lodge |access-date=2 January 2023}}</ref> Besnard Lake Camp has cabins, campsites, boat rentals, and guided fishing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Besnard Lake Camp |url=https://www.besnardlakecamp.com/ |website=Besnard Lake Camp |publisher=Besnard Lake Camp |access-date=2 January 2023}}</ref>
== Fish species == Fish commonly found in Besnard Lake include walleye, burbot, lake whitefish, northern pike, white sucker, cisco, and yellow perch.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Siemens |first1=Matthew |title=Besnard Lake |url=https://sasklakes.ca/besnard-lake/ |publisher=Sask Lakes |access-date=25 October 2024}}</ref>
== See also == *List of lakes of Saskatchewan
== References == {{Reflist}}
== Further reading == *{{cite book|last1=Gerrard|first1=Jon M.|last2=Bortolotti|first2=Gary R.|title=The bald eagle: Haunts and Habits of a Wilderness Monarch|url=https://archive.org/details/baldeaglehauntsh00gerr|url-access=registration|date=1988|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press|location=Washington, DC|isbn=9780874744507}} *[https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/50-year-study-revolutionizes-our-understanding-bald-eagles This 50-year study revolutionizes our understanding of bald eagles] - Canadian Geographic
{{Canada topic|List of lakes of}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Lakes of Saskatchewan