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The largest lake lying entirely within Canada, straddling the Arctic Circle in the Northwest Territories and draining into the Mackenzie River.
Great Bear Lake is the largest lake situated entirely within Canada, lying in the Northwest Territories in the country's far north. It is among the largest lakes in the world by surface area and is crossed by the Arctic Circle, which places part of it within the Arctic proper. Because of its latitude, the lake remains frozen for a large part of the year, and its waters are extremely cold and low in nutrients, supporting a sparse but distinctive aquatic ecosystem. Water leaves the lake through the Great Bear River, which flows west to join the Mackenzie, Canada's longest river system, and thence to the Arctic Ocean. The region is thinly populated, and its best-known historical association is with uranium mining at Port Radium on the lake's eastern shore.
Type: PhenomenonThe largest lake lying entirely within Canada, in the Northwest Territories
Crossed by the Arctic Circle
Among the largest lakes in the world by surface area
Drains through the Great Bear River into the Mackenzie River, and thence to the Arctic Ocean
Frozen for much of the year owing to its high latitude
Cold, clear and nutrient-poor waters supporting a sparse ecosystem
Historically associated with uranium and radium mining at Port Radium on its eastern shore
Very sparsely populated, with Deline the principal settlement on its shore
Frequency: Appears in world geography sections of SSC, Railway and UPSC Prelims papers
| Aspect | Great Bear Lake | Great Slave Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Distinction | Largest lake entirely within Canada | Deepest lake in North America |
| Location | Northwest Territories, crossed by the Arctic Circle | Northwest Territories, south of Great Bear Lake |
| Outflow | Great Bear River into the Mackenzie | Mackenzie River directly |
| Principal settlement | Deline | Yellowknife, capital of the Northwest Territories |
Great Bear Lake lies in the Northwest Territories of northern Canada, west of Nunavut and east of the Mackenzie River valley, with the Arctic Circle crossing its northern portion. To its south lies Great Slave Lake, on whose northern shore stands Yellowknife, the territorial capital. The Great Bear River flows west from the lake to join the Mackenzie, which continues north-west to empty into the Beaufort Sea, part of the Arctic Ocean.
Great Bear Lake matters largely as a reference point in the geography of the circumpolar north, a region that has moved from the margins of international attention to its centre as Arctic sea ice retreats. Lakes of this kind, frozen for much of the year and fed by permafrost catchments, are sensitive indicators of high-latitude warming: shorter ice seasons, thawing permafrost around the shoreline and changes to the sparse cold-water fisheries are all measurable early. The lake also carries a difficult history. Uranium and radium were mined at Port Radium on its eastern shore, and ore from there was carried south by Indigenous Dene labourers who were not informed of the risks, a case that has since become a standard example in discussions of environmental justice and Indigenous rights. For examination purposes, the lake is most often tested on its superlative and its drainage, but that history is worth knowing for any answer touching resource extraction in Indigenous territories.
Largest lake lying entirely within Canada
Located in the Northwest Territories, crossed by the Arctic Circle
Drains through the Great Bear River into the Mackenzie River
The Mackenzie is Canada's longest river, flowing to the Arctic Ocean
Frozen for much of the year; cold and nutrient-poor
Great Slave Lake, to its south, is the deepest lake in North America
Port Radium on its eastern shore was a uranium and radium mining site
Great Bear Lake, in the Northwest Territories. Lake Superior is larger but is shared between Canada and the United States.
Through the Great Bear River into the Mackenzie River, Canada's longest river system, which flows north-west into the Arctic Ocean.
The Arctic Circle crosses the lake, so part of it lies within the Arctic proper. This is why it remains frozen for much of the year.
Great Bear is the largest lake entirely within Canada, while Great Slave, lying to its south, is the deepest lake in North America. Both are in the Northwest Territories.
It was a uranium and radium mining site on the lake's eastern shore, whose history of unprotected Indigenous Dene labour has become a well-known case in discussions of environmental justice.