What are the largest lakes in the Canadian Rockies?

The largest lakes in the Canadian Rockies include natural lakes and manmade lakes. Many of the Canadian Rockies largest lakes are accessible by road, while a few are in the backcountry and only accessible by hiking or helicopter.

A few interesting facts about the largest lakes in the Canadian Rockies:

• The largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies is Maligne Lake.
• Many of the Canadian Rockies largest lakes are manmade reservoirs, including the largest, Abraham Lake.
• The deepest lake in the Canadian Rockies is Upper Waterton Lake at 148 metres (490 feet), which is only slightly deeper than Lake Minnewanka (142 metres/470 feet).
• The most famous lake in the Canadian Rockies does not make our list—Lake Louise is 2 km (1.2 miles) long.
• Many of the Canadian Rockies longest lakes are not technically lakes, but rather widening of rivers. These include Lake Windermere and Jasper Lake.
• Fortress Lake is the largest Canadian Rockies lake with no road access. In fact, since the hiking trail washed out, the only access is by helicopter.
• Brazeau Lake is the most popular large backcountry lake for overnight hikers.
• Lake Minnewanka, Maligne Lake, and Upper Waterton Lake have boat tours.
• Abraham Lake is famous to photographers for “ice bubbles’ when frozen in winter.
• The shallowest large lake in the Canadian Rockies is Lake Windermere at Invermere, with an average depth of 4.5 metres (15 feet).
• The deepest small lake in the Canadian Rockies is The Quarry at Canmore, a water-filled former coal mine that is just 400 metres (1,300 feet) wide but over 100 metres (330 feet) deep!

Maligne Lake is the largest natural lake in the Canadian Rockies.