| Big Ass Lake | |
|---|---|
| French: Big Ass Lake, Lac au gros cul | |
 | |
  Big Ass Lake Location in Nova Scotia | |
| Location | Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Coordinates | 44°55′32″N 62°55′58″W / 44.92556°N 62.93278°W |
| Type | Glacial lake |
| Max. length | 750 metres (2,460 ft)[1] |
| Surface area | Approx 150,000 m2 (0.15 km2)[1] |
| Frozen | Approx January to April [2] |
| Islands | 0 |
| Settlements | None |
| References | [1][2] |
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]
Geography
[edit]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
[edit]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.[4]
The lake has two arms: one located at the southeastern corner and another oriented toward the east-southeast.[4]
Geology
[edit]Big Ass Lake is a glacial lake formed during the last glacial retreat of the Pleistocene epoch. As glaciers receded from the Halifax County region approximately 12,000 years ago, depressions in the bedrock were left behind, which eventually filled with meltwater to form the lake. The surrounding landscape features glacial till, moraines, and erratic boulders, reflecting the lake's glacial origins.[5]
The bedrock in the area primarily consists of granitic and metamorphic rocks typical of Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore, with some localized deposits of quartz and feldspar.[6] Sediment cores from the lake indicate a mixture of clay, silt, and organic material, which provides a record of post-glacial ecological succession.[5][7]
Region
[edit]
Big Ass Lake is in Canada, Nova Scotia, Halifax county.[3] It is in the Eastern shore, Mooseland region.[8] More precisely, it is in the EL6489 region (also called Gold Lake region).[9] The EL6489 region includes all of Gold Lake, a majority of Big Ass Lake, and a partition of Little Mud Lake.
Features
[edit]Big Ass Lake borders Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area, which protects 16,500 hectares (41,000 acres) of rugged woodlands.[10] A nearby hill, Reid Hill, is situated close to the lake.[1][11]
History
[edit]Big Ass Lake and the surrounding area have been part of Mi’kmaq traditional territory for thousands of years,[12][13] and the waterways were historically used for travel, fishing, and seasonal hunting.[14]
The lake was formally named on March 5, 1953.[15]
Routes
[edit]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.[16][17]
Fishing
[edit]Fishing at Big Ass Lake is permitted under Nova Scotia's freshwater recreational regulations. A valid provincial fishing licence is required for inland angling. Species typically found in the lakes are trout, salmon, mackerel, perch, and bass can be caught when their respective seasons are open, which in turn allows eel fishing to occur as well. The daily bag limit for eels in inland waters is 10, with a minimum retention size of 35 centimetres (14 in).[18]
Mining
[edit]Moose River Gold Mines
[edit]
Big Ass Lake lies within Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore gold district. 6.2 km (3.9 mi)[19] 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.[20][21]
Scheelite Mine
[edit]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.[22][23]
Wildlife
[edit]Fish in Big Ass Lake include perch, chain pickerel, and northern pike.[24]
Birds around the lake are bank swallow, purple martin, mocking bird, and bohemian waxwing;[25]
Mammals around the lakes are foxes, squirrels, raccoons and lynx.[26]
Trees around the lake include maple, birch, oak, and aspen trees.[27]
Bog Plants include various mosses, cranberries, and liverwort.[27]
Mushrooms around the lake are Lepiota helveola and L. clypeolarioides.[28]
Climate
[edit]| Climate data for Big Ass Lake, Halifax (1981 - 2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −1.3 (29.7) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
3.1 (37.6) |
9.1 (48.4) |
15.3 (59.5) |
20.4 (68.7) |
23.8 (74.8) |
23.6 (74.5) |
19.4 (66.9) |
13.1 (55.6) |
7.3 (45.1) |
1.7 (35.1) |
11.2 (52.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −10.4 (13.3) |
−9.7 (14.5) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
4.6 (40.3) |
9.7 (49.5) |
13.7 (56.7) |
13.7 (56.7) |
9.7 (49.5) |
4.2 (39.6) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
−6.4 (20.5) |
1.9 (35.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 134.3 (5.29) |
105.8 (4.17) |
120.1 (4.73) |
114.5 (4.51) |
111.9 (4.41) |
96.2 (3.79) |
95.5 (3.76) |
93.5 (3.68) |
102.0 (4.02) |
124.9 (4.92) |
154.2 (6.07) |
143.3 (5.64) |
1,396.2 (54.99) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 58.5 (23.0) |
45.4 (17.9) |
37.1 (14.6) |
15.9 (6.3) |
2.0 (0.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (0.2) |
16.6 (6.5) |
45.4 (17.9) |
221.3 (87.2) |
| Source: Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010 Station Data [29] | |||||||||||||
Weather phenomena
[edit]The region around Big Ass Lake experiences a mix of sunny and cloudy conditions throughout the year, with frequent rain in summer and snowfall on winter. Fog is also common, and may occur alongside rain or snow.[30] Thunderstorm is a bit more rare, and it might occur alongside rain or snow just like fogs. Hail is a possible occurrence, but rarer than thunderstorms.[31] While hurricanes are highly unlikely to occur in the area, they remain a possible occurrence.[32]
Precipitation
[edit]Big Ass Lake receives approximately 1,396.2 millimetres (54.97 in) of precipitation annually, including both rain and snow.[29] Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, with slightly lower amounts in spring and summer, but it is slightly higher in autumn and winter months.[29] Snowfall contributes significantly to the lake's annual balance, affecting the surrounding wetlands. Acid rain has been recorded in parts of Nova Scotia, though it is relatively rare.[33]
Ice cover
[edit]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
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References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "Canadian Coast Guard – e-Nav Nautical Chart Viewer". e-nav.ccg-gcc.evouala.com. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
- ^ a b c "Mild Winter Days (-5 °C)". climateatlas.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
- ^ a b c Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Big Ass Lake". geonames.nrcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
- ^ a b "The National Map". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- ^ a b Rudolph R. Stea; Robert J. Mott (1998). "Deglaciation of Nova Scotia: Stratigraphy and chronology of lake sediment cores and buried organic sections" (PDF). Géographie physique et Quaternaire. Retrieved 2025-10-06.
- ^ "Geological Mapping of the Halifax Area". novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2025-10-06.
- ^ "600 Triassic Lowlands". The Natural History of Nova Scotia, Volume II: Theme Regions. Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History. 1996. doi:10.7202/004871ar. Retrieved 2025-10-06.
- ^ "Community Plan Areas". www.halifax.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- ^ "EL6489 Region - Gold Lake" (PDF).
- ^ Change, Department of Environment and Climate (2009-04-01). "Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness Area | Protected Areas". www.novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
- ^ Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Reid Hill". geonames.nrcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
- ^ "The Mi'kmaq" (PDF).
- ^ Hornborg, Anne-Christine (2016-07-22). Mi'kmaq Landscapes: From Animism to Sacred Ecology. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-09621-4.
- ^ "Mi'kmaq Treaties of 1725-1928". Nova Scotia Archives. 20 April 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ^ "Place names - Big Ass Lake".
- ^ "511 Nova Scotia". 511.novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-29.
- ^ Orkin, David (2013). Nova Scotia. Bradt Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-84162-454-9.
- ^ Government of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (2015-09-24). "Tidal and freshwater (Diadromous)". www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
- ^ "Moose River gold mines, Moose River, Halifax Co., Nova Scotia, Canada". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2025-08-30.
- ^ "Home | Nova Scotia Parks" (PDF). www.novascotiaparks.ca. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
- ^ 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) - ^ "Scheelite mine (Stillwater Brook), Moose River, Halifax Co., Nova Scotia, Canada". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- ^ Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (1895). Transactions. Gerstein - University of Toronto. Montreal [etc.]
- ^ Schultz, Ken (2010-12-15). Ken Schultz's Field Guide to Freshwater Fish. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-03987-8.
- ^ Science, Nova Scotian Institute of (1895). The Proceedings and Transactions of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science. Nova Scotian Institute of Science.
- ^ "Government of Nova Scotia - Government of Nova Scotia". beta.novascotia.ca. 2018-05-14. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
- ^ a b Orkin, David (2009). Nova Scotia. Bradt Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-84162-282-8.
- ^ Ammirati, Joseph F. (1985). Poisonous Mushrooms of the Northern United States and Canada. U of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-1407-3.
- ^ a b c "Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010 Station Data - Climate - Environment and Climate Change Canada". climate.weather.gc.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
- ^ Canada, Environment (2013-04-16). "Halifax, NS - 7 Day Forecast - Environment Canada". weather.gc.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
- ^ Etkin, David. "Hail Climatology for Canada: An Update" (PDF).
- ^ "Impact of Hurrricane Juan on Nova Scotia's Woodlands. | novascotia.ca". novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
- ^ Acid Precipitation: An Annotated Bibliography. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. 1984.
Further reading
[edit]- Nova Scotia Archives. Filling more than 'a lady's thimble': Gold-Mining in Nova Scotia, 1858–2005. Government of Nova Scotia.
- PDF file about Nova Scotia, Mooseland Gold Mines. - Phase I Environmental Site Assessment.
- On a new tungsten (Scheelite) deposit at Lower Sackville, Halifax County, N. S.-By Harry Piers, Curator for the Provincial Museum of Nova Scotia, Halifax.
- Angler's handbook and 2025 summary of regulations - Fish Nova Scotia
External links
[edit]
Definitions from Wiktionary
Media from Commons
Data from Wikidata
