Whether you see it every single day or just a few times a year when you visit the Eastern Townships, Lake Memphremagog never fails to impress! In summer or winter, this mighty expanse of water is one of the region’s most beautiful and enduring landmarks.
After reading the following, you’ll learn even more about Lake Memphremagog!
1- The lake sprawls over 102 square kilometres—about 28% of which lies within the State of Vermont. The international border is near the City of Newport. If you were wondering: boaters can travel back and forth between Canada and the United States, but Escapades Memphrémagog’s cruises sail within the Quebec portion of the lake.
2- Lake Memphremagog is the largest body of water in the Eastern Townships, and it traces its origins to ancient times. The lake basin is thought to date back 11,000 years during the Wisconsin glacial retreat, the last ice age in North America. The lake itself was formed around 9,500 years ago after the contraction of the Champlain Sea. (Part of what remains is today’s Saint Lawrence River).
3- The lake is home to a wide variety of fish including rainbow smelt, white perch, bass, pike, and yellow perch. There are also several species of salmonids: lake trout, landlocked salmon, rainbow trout and brown trout. Fishing is a popular activity during the summer, as well as ice fishing in winter. Certain species are endangered, so fishers must familiarize themselves with the latest rules regarding what they can and cannot catch.
4- Lake Memphremagog provides water to around 175,000 people—90% of Sherbrooke’s population.
5- According to legend, a monster named Memphré (!) lives in the waters of Lake Memphremagog. Said to be a hybrid of a snake and a water dragon, the first mention of Memphré was in newspapers in 1816, when Ralph Merry III, Magog’s first settler, claimed that some of his fellow citizens were scared of the giant creatures living in the depths of the lake… Today, a topiary version of Memphré can be found in Parc de la Baie-de-Magog at Merry Point!
6- Lake Memphremagog is ringed by mountains: Mont Orford, Owl’s Head, Mont Chagnon, Mont Elephant and Mont Bear.
7- The deepest part of the lake—107 metres (351 feet)—lies within Canada.
8- Numerous municipalities fan out from Lake Memphremagog. These include Austin, Bolton-Est, Magog, Ogden, Canton d’Orford, Potton, Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, Canton de Stanstead and Stanstead.
9- Some of the most beautiful views of the lake are from… our rooms at the Versō hotel! Our property is located on the shoreline of Lake Memphremagog and from your balcony (or one of our terraces) you can enjoy the spectacular sight of the sun greeting the morning or sinking over the sparkling waves at the end of the day.
Book your room now and come and see the lake up close and personal!
Main source: Portrait général, Memphrémagog Conservation inc.