Deschambault Lake

Deschambault Lake spreads among the northern forests in a series of broad arms and bays. The Deschambault and Ballantyne rivers bring water from different uplands, while the western arm, Ballantyne Bay, receives the Puskwakau River. The lake forms part of the Sturgeon-Weir drainage, which leads south towards the Saskatchewan River. Its waters contain lake whitefish, burbot and other fish.

The Cree name Kimosom Pwatinahk recalls an encounter with Dakota people in this country. Accounts of earlier journeys describe a route through the lake by way of the Ballantyne River, known in Cree as the Dakota River. One party of Dakota is said to have wintered on the lakeshore after returning from an engagement. The name preserves a memory of their presence in a region also used by Cree communities.