Which lake is shared by Alberta and Saskatchewan and is one of Canada’s largest lakes?

Lake Athabasca is shared by Alberta and Saskatchewan and is one of Canada’s largest lakes.

The lake lies in northwestern Saskatchewan and northeastern Alberta, near the southern edge of the Canadian Shield. It covers about 7,850 square kilometres and is the country’s eighth-largest lake by surface area. Its name is derived from a Cree word associated with the lake’s location and surrounding country.

Lake Athabasca drains westward through the Slave River into Great Slave Lake, linking it to the Mackenzie River system and ultimately the Arctic Ocean. The lake also supports commercial and Indigenous fisheries, transportation and recreation.

It is sometimes confused with Great Slave Lake, which is much larger and lies farther north in the Northwest Territories. Lake Athabasca is also associated with the Athabasca River and the broader Athabasca region.