Lac St. Jean

Lac Saint-Jean (Piekuakami)
Lac Saint-Jean Location in Quebec
Location	Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region, Quebec
Coordinates	48°35′40″N 72°01′48″W / 48.59444°N 72.03000°W / 48.59444; -72.03000Coordinates: 48°35′40″N 72°01′48″W / 48.59444°N 72.03000°W / 48.59444; -72.03000
Type	impact crater lake
Primary inflows	Ashuapmushuan, Mistassini, Peribonka, Des Aulnaies, Métabetchouan, Ouiatchouane
Primary outflows	Saguenay River
Catchment area	71,947 km2 (27,779 sq mi)
Basin countries	Canada
Max. length	43.8 km (27.2 mi)
Max. width	24 km (15 mi)
Surface area	1,053 km2 (407 sq mi)
Average depth	11.4 m (37 ft)
Max. depth	63.1 m (207 ft)
Water volume	11.9 km3 (2.9 cu mi)
Surface elevation	99.6 m (327 ft)
References

Lac Saint-Jean is a large, relatively shallow lake in south-central Quebec, Canada, in the Laurentian Highlands. It is situated 206 kilometres north of the Saint Lawrence River, into which it drains via the Saguenay River. It covers an area of 1,053 km² (407 sq mi), and is 63.1 m (207 ft) at its deepest point. Its name in the Innu language is Piekuakami.

The lake is fed by dozens of small rivers, including the Ashuapmushuan, the Mistassini, the Peribonka, the Des Aulnaies, the Métabetchouane, and the Ouiatchouane. The towns on its shores include Alma, Dolbeau-Mistassini, Roberval, Normandin, and Saint-Félicien. Three Regional County Municipalities lie on its shores: Lac-Saint-Jean-Est, Le Domaine-du-Roy, and Maria-Chapdelaine.

The lake was named Piekuakami by the Innu, the indigenous people who occupied the area at the time of European arrival. It was given its French name after Jean de Quen, a Jesuit missionary who in 1647 was the first European to reach its shores.