Lake of the Woods

Lake of the Woods is a vast, island-studded lake at the western end of a chain of waterways leading from Lake Superior. The Rainy River enters it from the south, and its waters leave by the Winnipeg River. For the Ojibwe, its sturgeon and beds of wild rice were important sources of food. Rock paintings on the islands bear witness to the long human history of its shores.

In 1732, Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye, established Fort Saint Charles on the lake. Canoe brigades later crossed these waters on the route between the Great Lakes and the northwestern fur country, relying on Indigenous communities for provisions as well as knowledge of the waterways. The route continued north along the Winnipeg River and on toward the interior.