Fanshawe Lake, is a small

man-made lake A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including control ...

east of

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...

. It is fed by the

Thames River The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

from the north, and is separated from the river to the southwest by

Fanshawe Dam Fanshawe Dam is a dam located on North Thames River near the eastern edge of London, Ontario. The crest of the dam is 625 metres long. It is 30.5 metres in height and drops the river surface 12 metres. Fanshawe Lake is the reservoir created by the ...

. The Lake is a popular choice for boaters during the summer months, and also features many low flying aircraft, as the lake is used to line up approaches for aircraft landing in the airport to the south. The reservoir was closed to swimming in 2009 due to the presence of blue/green algae. Fanshawe Lake is a popular

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...

venue, hosting several

regattas Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wate ...

throughout the year, the lake is home to the London Training Centre for Canada's women's national rowing team, the University of Western Ontario's rowing team and Western-Middlesex Rowing Club. The Fanshawe Lake trail also surrounds the lake, a 22–25 km dirt path that is popular for mountain biking, trail running, and hiking. The path is known for providing scenic views of the lake from different vantage points.

References

Lakes of Ontario Reservoirs in Canada {{WesternOntario-geo-stub