The Land
Information on the geology and mineralogy of Kipawa can be found at http://www.kipawa.com/geology.htm.

The Kipawa region is well-known to certain geologists since it is located near the Grenville Front.  What is a "Grenville Front" you ask?

The Grenville Front is an area about 12 to 18 miles wide which demarcates the zone where the Superior and the Grenville “structural province” (geological formations, or sections of the Earth's crust, if you will) meet.  Tectonic action along the Grenville Front results in some very interesting surface formations.  In certain areas actual faults are visible.  Much of Kipawa lies southeast of the Grenville Front in what is known as the Grenville province.  The Superior province lies just to the northwest of Lake Kipawa.  The rock structure of Superior tends to run north-northeast (NNE) while that of the Grenville runs NNW.  Along the front, and mostly on the Lake Kipawa side, the rock structure runs mostly ENE.  It seems likely that the orientation of the bays near Taggart Bay on Lake Kipawa are influenced by the geology along the Front.

Some mineralogists are familiar with the Kipawa Syenite Complex which lies in the Grenville province. More information is at http://library.iem.ac.ru/can-min/vol34/cm2/currie.html.  Interestingly, a search on eBay of "kipawa" will usually reveal auctions for minerals from this region.

The Kipawa area has seen some recent seismological activity as described here: http://www.seismo.nrcan.gc.ca/publications/esssa00_temis.php and here: http://www.seismo.nrcan.gc.ca/sig_eq_report/2000/20000101.php.

The Lake
Lake Kipawa is a natural lake whose elevation was raised early in the 1900s by the addition of two small dams to help control flooding in the Ottawa River Basin.  The Kipawa River is the only natural flow from Lake Kipawa, and now the Laniel Dam controls the flow into the Kipawa River.  Gordon Brook, which you can cross at the edge of the town of Temiscaming on Route 101, was created when Kipawa Dam was erected near the town of Kipawa. Visitors to the lake in the cold months will see a different Lake Kipawa, as the water level is lowered to almost it's original level.

Tip to tip, the lake is roughly 50 miles long, but getting from one point to another "as the crow flies" isn't always easy on this body of water.  The lake is characterized by many narrow bays and channels and islands of different sizes.  There are about 1300 miles of shoreline. Kipawa is a deep lake - 342 feet deep in McLaren Bay.  McLaren Bay is not that close to Taggart Bay Lodge though – it's more than 20 miles by boat.  The parts of the lake that we fish are much closer and not as deep, though depths over 100 feet are common.  The lake’s depth and its location mean surface water temperatures don't get much over 70 degrees, and the water gets cold quickly if you dive down a few feet.  Even though warm summer days can drive surface water temperatures to the mid-‘70s, the water quickly cools as night falls and the cooler deep water mixes with the surface water.

Like the surrounding land, rocks are everywhere in Lake Kipawa.  Rocks - mostly granite – provide ample habitat for fish species.  Rocks near the surface and next to main channels are usually marked with either a flag or a floating bottle of some sort.  When you spot one, beware - the rest of the rock reef may extend beyond the marker.  It is best to leave a 50-foot gap between you and the marker unless you are slowly fishing the area. Off the main channels, rocks may not be marked, so be extra careful when exploring back bays and shorelines particularly on the southern shorelines.  Fortunately, the water is quite clear, and shallow rock structures can usually be seen as off-color areas.  Visibility on still, bright days (we don’t have many of these days!) is greater than 10 feet.