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Mont Saint-Hilaire Biosphere Reserve

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Explore Hertel Lake

  • Gault House next to the lake in the fog; surrounded by the forest in the fall
  • Canadian geese taking off from the foggy lake, surrounded by woods in the fall
  • Lake Hertel from the shore in the summer; the sunny woods reflected in the lake
  • Aerial view of Lake Hertel surrounded by the Mont Saint-Hilaire woods in the fall
  • Foggy Lake Hertel from the shore, surrounded by the woods in the fall
Bouton fleche gauche Bouton fleche droit

Photo: Ville de Montréal - Air Imex Ltée

Photo: Jacques Messier

Photo: Nature center

Photo: Nature center

Photo: Nature center

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Explorer Mont Saint-Hilaire’s Lake

Lac Hertel is located at the heart of the mountain. Contrary to the popular belief that it is bottomless, the lake has a maximum depth of 9 metres (about 30 feet). The lake was formed by glaciers, which covered the mountain approximately 10,000 years ago. It is fed by three permanent streams, and drains to the south by way of a fourth. Each spring and fall, hundreds of Canadian geese take off from the waters of Lac Hertel. The lake also provides a habitat to around ten species of fish, including the pike, the rock bass and the yellow perch.