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Lac Mégantic, Quebec, is 26 km2, with an elevation of 395 m and a depth of 75 m. It is located in a depression of the Appalachians in southern Quebec, 6 km from the United States border. Lac-Mégantic, the only town of the region, is located at its outlet, which is the source of the Rivière Chaudière.
History
In 1646, Father Gabriel Druillettes (1610–81) saw Lac Mégantic for the first time. The Abenaki who often crossed it gave it the name Namagontekw, meaning "place of the salmon trout." Surrounded by the Montagnes Bleues, the lake is fed by a network of valleys that drain the surrounding forests. A large and important wetland for waterfowl is located at its head. Once used to float timber, it is now popular with fishermen and vacationers.
In late 1775, during the American Revolution, Colonel Benedict Arnold's troops used Lac Mégantic and Rivière Chaudière to attack Quebec City from Boston.
