Big Ass Lake

Not to be confused with Big Bass Lake, Pennsylvania.

Big Ass Lake
French: Big Ass Lake, Lac au gros cul
Big Ass Lake is located in Nova Scotia
Big Ass Lake
Big Ass Lake
Location in Nova Scotia
LocationNova Scotia, Canada
Coordinates44°55′32″N 62°55′58″W / 44.92556°N 62.93278°W / 44.92556; -62.93278
TypeGlacial lake
Max. length750 metres (2,460 ft)[1]
Surface areaApprox 150,000 m2 (0.15 km2)[1]
FrozenApprox January to April[2]
Islands0
SettlementsNone
References[1][2]
Template:Attached KML/Big Ass Lake
KML is not from Wikidata

Big Ass Lake is a glacial lake in Halifax County, Nova Scotia, Canada.[3] It is located 60 km (37 miles) to the northeast of Halifax, the capital city of Nova Scotia and 253 km (157 miles) from Sydney, Nova Scotia.[1] The lake was formally named on March 5, 1953.[4]

Geography

The lake measures 555 meters (1,821 ft) across at its widest point, while its longest diagonal length measures approximately 750 m (2,460 ft). Surface area is approximately 150,000 square metres (0.15 km2).[1] Depth measures about 3 to 8 metres (9.8 to 26.2 ft). The lake has no islands.

Hydrology

It is connected to Gold Lake[3] by an unnamed creek. The lake is surrounded by wooded forest, geological features and wetlands. Lakes nearby include Dreadnought Lake, Little Mud Lake, North Twin Lake and South Twin Lake.[5]

The lake has two arms: one located at the southeastern corner and another oriented toward the east-southeast.[5]

Region

EL6489 region

Big Ass Lake is in Canada, Nova Scotia, Halifax county.[3] It is in the Eastern shore, Mooseland region.[6] More precisely, it is in the EL6489 region (also called Gold Lake region).[7] The EL6489 region includes all of Gold Lake, a majority of Big Ass Lake, and a partition of Little Mud Lake.

Features

Big Ass Lake borders Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area, which protects 16,500 hectares (41,000 acres) of rugged woodlands.[8] A nearby hill, Reid Hill, is situated close to the lake.[1][9]

Routes

Big Ass Lake is accessible via Nova Scotia Route 224, which runs from Shubenacadie to Sheet Harbour. From Elmsvale, the lake can be reached by following Mooseland Road toward the Moose River Gold Mines. Big Ass Lake is also accessible via Nova Scotia Highway 7.[10][11]

Mining

Moose River Gold Mines

Main article: Moose River Gold Mines
Moose River Gold Mines

Big Ass Lake lies within Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore gold district. 6.2 km (3.9 mi)[12] inland is the community of Moose River Gold Mines, the site of an 1860s gold rush and a widely reported 1936 Moose River Mine Disaster cave-in that trapped three men underground for 11 days.[13][14]

Scheelite Mine

A scheelite mine is located near Big Ass Lake. It is 6.37 km (3.96 mi) from Big Ass Lake. It operated from 1908 and 1918, and is historically known as mining tungsten. It is right below a lake, named Shea Lake.[15][16]

Climate

Ice cover

Big Ass Lake typically freezes over in late December or January and thaws by late March or April, following typical patterns for small inland lakes in Nova Scotia. However, the thickness of the ice can vary with annual temperature fluctuations.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Canadian Coast Guard – e-Nav Nautical Chart Viewer". e-nav.ccg-gcc.evouala.com. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
  2. ^ a b c "Mild Winter Days (−5 °C)". climateatlas.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
  3. ^ a b c Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names – Big Ass Lake". geonames.nrcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
  4. ^ "Place names – Big Ass Lake".
  5. ^ a b "The National Map". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  6. ^ "Community Plan Areas". www.halifax.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
  7. ^ "EL6489 Region – Gold Lake" (PDF).
  8. ^ Change, Department of Environment and Climate (2009-04-01). "Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area | Protected Areas". www.novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
  9. ^ Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names – Reid Hill". geonames.nrcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  10. ^ "511 Nova Scotia". 511.novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-29.
  11. ^ Orkin, David (2013). Nova Scotia. Bradt Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-84162-454-9.
  12. ^ "Moose River gold mines, Moose River, Halifax Co., Nova Scotia, Canada". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
  13. ^ "Home | Nova Scotia Parks" (PDF). www.novascotiaparks.ca. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
  14. ^ Benedict, Michael (2000). In the face of disaster : true stories of Canadian heroes from the archives of Maclean's. Internet Archive. Toronto : Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-88883-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  15. ^ "Scheelite mine (Stillwater Brook), Moose River, Halifax Co., Nova Scotia, Canada". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
  16. ^ Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (1895). Transactions. Gerstein – University of Toronto. Montreal [etc.]

Further reading

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