Great Slave Lake
Great Slave Lake, a lake in Canada's Northwest Territories. Its area is 11,030 square miles (28,568 km2). It is about 300 miles (480 km) long and 20 to 70 miles (32 to 113 km) wide. The lake receives the waters of Lake Athabasca through the Slave River and flows into the Mackenzie River, which empties into the Arctic Ocean. The Great Slave Lake is an important fishing ground. Gold is mined near Yellowknife, on the northern shore. The lake was discovered by Samuel Hearne in 1771, and was named for the Slave Indians.