Françoise Lake is a freshwater body of the southern part of Eeyou Istchee James Bay (municipality), in the administrative region of

Nord-du-Québec Nord-du-Québec (; ) is the largest, but the least populous, of the seventeen administrative regions of Quebec, Canada. Spread over nearly 14 degrees of latitude, north of the 49th parallel, the region covers on the Labrador Peninsula, making ...

, in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. The area of Lac Françoise extends into the townships of Grandis and du Guesclin, in the territory of the Eeyou Istchee James Bay (municipality), southwest of

Chapais, Quebec Chapais () is a community in the Canadian province of Quebec, located on Route 113 near Chibougamau in the Jamésie region. It is surrounded by, but not a part of, the local municipality of Eeyou Istchee James Bay. The community was first sett ...

. Forestry is the main economic activity of the sector. Recreational tourism activities come second with a navigable body of water of length, including Father Lake (South); Doda Lake (Southeast). This last lake is formed by an enlargement of the

Opawica River The Opawica River is a tributary of the Waswanipi River, which is a tributary of Matagami Lake which in turn flows into the Nottaway River which flows into the south of James Bay. The Opawica River flows in the municipality of Eeyou Istchee Baie- ...

. The hydrographic slope of Lac Francoise is accessible via the forest road R1051 coming from the North and serving the large peninsula which stretches out on the east side for . This peninsula is surrounded to the north by Lake Du Guesclin and Lac Françoise; to the East and to the South by Doda Lake; Southwest, by Father Lake (Doda Lake tributary). The surface of Lac Francoise is generally frozen from early November to mid-May, however, safe ice circulation is generally from mid-November to mid-April.

Geography

Toponymy

The term "Françoise" is a name of French origin. The toponym "lake Françoise" was formalized on July 15, 1970, by the

Commission de toponymie du Québec The Commission de toponymie du Québec (, ''Toponymy Commission of Québec'') is the Government of Québec's public body responsible for cataloging, preserving, making official and publicizing Québec's place names and their origins according to th ...

when it was created.Quebec Geographic Names Board - Place Names Bank - Toponyme: "Lake Françoise"
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Geography

Toponymy

Notes and references

See also