Lake Ainslie
title: "Lake Ainslie" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["lakes-of-nova-scotia", "landforms-of-inverness-county,-nova-scotia"] topic_path: "general/lakes-of-nova-scotia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Ainslie" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox body of water"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Lake Ainslie |
| image | Lake Ainslie1.jpg |
| caption | The western shore of Lake Ainslie |
| pushpin_map | Nova Scotia |
| location | Inverness County, Nova Scotia |
| coords | |
| type | Glacial Lake |
| inflow | Trout Brook |
| outflow | Margaree River |
| basin_countries | Canada |
| length | 20 km |
| width | 7 km |
| area | 57.4 km2 |
| depth | 5.75 m |
| max-depth | 18 m |
| volume | 0.33 km3 |
| elevation | 57 m |
| islands | none |
| cities | Municipality of the County of Inverness |
| :: |
| name = Lake Ainslie | image = Lake Ainslie1.jpg | caption = The western shore of Lake Ainslie | image_bathymetry = |pushpin_map=Nova Scotia | caption_bathymetry = | location = Inverness County, Nova Scotia | coords = | type =Glacial Lake | inflow =Trout Brook | outflow = Margaree River | catchment = | basin_countries = Canada | length = 20 km | width =7 km | area =57.4 km2 | depth =5.75 m | max-depth =18 m | volume = 0.33 km3 | residence_time = | shore = | elevation =57 m | islands =none | cities = Municipality of the County of Inverness
Lake Ainslie is the largest natural freshwater lake on Cape Breton. The Southwest Margaree River starts at the lake and empties into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The lake is approximately 20 km long and averages 5 km in width.
It was formed during the Pleistocene, about two million years ago, when glacial outwash blocked the drainage of the valley of Loch Ban. It is underlain primarily by sedimentary deposits of the Horton and Windsor Formations, dating back about 350 million years.
The lake was named in honour of Lieutenant-Governor George Robert Ainslie. He was Lieutenant-Governor of Cape Breton Island. Ainsley Township, one of the four subdivisions of the northwestern part of Cape Breton Island, was formed in 1828.
Previous to 1816, the lake was known as Marguerite, which gives the name to the river which flows from it.
References
References
- "Lake Ainslie - Home".
- (May 1991 – September 1993). "Lake Ainslie Water Quality Report".
- Brown, Thomas J.. (1922). "Place-Names of the Province of Nova Scotia". Royal Print & Litho.
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