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Top 10 Sensational Facts about Falcon Lake, Manitoba

Manitoba is fortunate to have an abundance of freshwater including lakes, rivers and wetlands that are essential to support and sustain healthy aquatic ecosystems.

Lakes in Manitoba come in all shapes and sizes. They range from massive to compact, deep to shallow, rocky to sandy; some have clear water, and others are grey or tea-stained.

Manitoba has an incredible 100,000 lakes. Choosing which ones are the best is a Herculean task. Some of it simply comes down to personal preference.

Falcon Lake is one of the most popular lakes in Whiteshell Provincial Park, and with good reason. The lake is large and popular for pleasure cruising and finding the elusive fishing hot spot.

Several beaches are dotted along its shoreline, and they provide sandy oases along the mostly forested, privately owned shorelines.

The massive, curving beach and calm, warm water is ideal for children of all ages.

Off the beach, the lively town centre has an assortment of restaurants, shops and a large grocery store. Read on to discover the 10 sensational facts about Falcon Lake.

 

1.  The Falcon Lake Incident

 

On the May long weekend of 1967, an amateur geologist named Stefan Michalak journeyed into the wilderness of Falcon Lake, Manitoba, in search of quartz and silver in an outcropping he鈥檇 scoped out the year before.

His encounter with 2 UFOs changed his life.

Stefan Michalak claimed to witness two UFOs in the woods of Manitoba, Canada at falcon lake.

His story has become one of the most documented and heavily studied reports in history regarding UFOs.

Interestingly, Stefan had more to back up his story than just recounting what he saw,

His injuries have never been explained  to this day.

What followed is what many consider to be the best evidence of UFOs of all time.

The Falcon Lake incident intrigued people for years to come. It became Canada鈥檚 best-documented UFO case, with articles, books, and television shows featuring the incident.

2. The Lake was named after Pierre Falcon

 

Reputedly named for the Metis poet/songwriter Pierre Falcon (1793-1876).

Falcon (a.k.a. Pierriche, Pierre the Rhymer), poet, balladeer born in Elbow Fort, Rupert鈥檚 Land, near present-day Swan River, Manitoba.

Falcon worked as a fur trader, farmer and magistrate.

However, he is best remembered as the author of many poems and ballads that recount the events and experiences of early M茅tis settlers.

Falcon Lake, on the Manitoba-Ontario border, was named in his honour.

Lake is known for clear, deep water and access to an excellent self-guided interpretive trail along Falcon Creek.

The adjacent town offers recreational activities ranging from golf to horseback riding to lawn bowling.

3. There is a 2018 Falcon Lake Commemorative Coin

In 2018, the Royal Canadian Mint issued a $20 non-circulating commemorative silver coin featuring the Falcon Lake incident as part of Canada鈥檚 Unexplained Phenomena series.

The oval coin measures 45 by 33 millimetres and weighs 31.82 grams; it features the usual Queen Elizabeth II effigy obverse overlaid with a cross-grid pattern.

The reverse features a UFO in the sky with a grid pattern of dots on a silvery reflective skin.

The UFO floats over Falcon Lake with grass and trees in the background.  The coin also glows in the dark to mimic the beams of light Michalak claimed he saw.

The coin issued to commemorate the incident had a mintage of only 4,000. The original issue price was $129.95 CAD and it sold out quickly.

With its popularity and low mintage, the Canada 2018 Falcon Lake $20 coin today trades for between $700 and $1,500 USD.

The 2018 commemorative coin featured here seems to offer an 鈥渙fficial鈥� nod to a phenomenon that has kept people wondering for decades.

4. An Incredible Main Beach hugs Falcon Lake

It is one of the most popular lakes to visit in Manitoba, and so it stands that it has one of the most popular beaches, too!

Falcon Lake, found in Whiteshell Provincial Park, is a great choice when it comes to a beach holiday.

The amenities are endless here, with restaurants, shops, snack stands, picnic tables, a beach boardwalk, tennis courts, and so much more near the beach.

There are fantastic camping and cabin rental options galore, so you can happily spend a few days or weeks exploring the area.

There鈥檚 a huge marina for those looking to use their boat for boating, fishing, water skiing, etc, while there are lots of hiking and biking trails in the area, too. And of course, swimming is extremely popular in Falcon Lake!

5. Falcon Lake is Located in the Whiteshell Provincial Park

Falcon Lake is located in the Whiteshell Provincial Park in southeastern Manitoba, Canada.

The lake is about 152 kilometres east of Winnipeg on the Trans-Canada Highway near the Ontario border.

The lake’s namesake is M茅tis poet and songwriter Pierre Falcon. It appears on the Palliser map of 1865.

Palliser identified transportation routes, catalogued mineral and timber resources, and assessed the region’s potential for European-style agriculture.

Whiteshell Provincial Park is a 2,721 km虏 park centrally located in Canada in the province of Manitoba.

6. It is one of the Best Ice Fishing Lakes in Manitoba

One of the largest lakes in the Whiteshell, Falcon Lake is a popular destination for ice anglers.

While this lake is full of walleye, perch, bass, and whitefish, the main target species here in the winter is northern pike.

Every year, the fish caught are huge. Often surpassing the Master Angler benchmark of 41 inches. 

Falcon Lake holds a world-class trophy fishery for a freshwater species growing in popularity among recreational anglers.

If you鈥檙e looking for a spot to ice fish in Manitoba, there are quite a few options available. 

The cold winters in Manitoba allow for ice fishing to be done in the depths of winter.

7. Falcon Lake is the highlight of the Top of the World Trail

Check out this 3.4-km loop trail near West Hawk Lake, Manitoba. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 43 min to complete.

This is a very popular area for birding, hiking, and mountain biking, so you’ll likely encounter other people while exploring.

The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash.

The viewpoint overlooking Falcon Lake and the surrounding forest is gorgeous and there is a nice bench for sitting and admiring the views there.

This is probably the highlight of the trail. The trail and views are worth the initial confusion and effort in finding the right path.

8. It is the Site of the Falcon Lake Floppet

  Falcon (in Lake Falcon) and Loppet make Floppet. The term loppet has its roots in Scandinavia and essentially means 鈥渁 whole bunch of people going skiing together.鈥� If you’re a cyclist a similar term might be granfondo.

This unique nordic ski race winds through the wild and majestic woods of the boreal forest that surround the ski hill.

The trails are well known for their pristine groomed condition, great scenery and lots of elevation changes.

Participants have the option to choose either classic or skate techniques from three different race distances.

• The Minnow Kids Race: 1.7km
• The Bass: 7.5km
• The Walleye: 17.5km
• The Northern Pike: 35km long

Along the way, participants will have the chance to stop at various festive check-points to indulge in some authentic Whiteshell culture.

The 2022 event is cancelled but next year’s Floppet is scheduled for Saturday, March 4, 2023.

9. Falcon Lake is Southeastern Manitoba鈥檚 best Vacation Hideaway

This 3,700-acre lake offers a bit of everything-except crowded cities.

Nestled in the far south of Whiteshell Provincial Park, Falcon Lake is home to hundreds of cottagers, two provincial campgrounds, two villages, resorts, bed & breakfasts, a marina and a ski area.

Falcon Lake has a lot of outdoor recreation and adventure.

Located just off the Trans-Canada Highway, it is less than two hours from Winnipeg and the perfect starting point for exploring Whiteshell Provincial Park 鈥� that is, if visitors can actually tear themselves away from the water.

There are 550 campsites near the west end of the lake and the village of Falcon Beach.

The lake was also a favourite summer destination of Neil Young, who wrote a song entitled “Falcon Lake” while with Buffalo Springfield.

10.  Falcon Lake inspired Falcon Beach TV series

The lake inspired the name of the TV series Falcon Beach although that fictional location is set on another Manitoba lake

Falcon Beach is a Canadian television show, filmed at Winnipeg Beach and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and produced for the Canadian and American markets.

It originally aired in 2005 as a movie on Global in Canada.   Global and ABC Family produced the TV Show.

Falcon Beach  is also currently in first-run showings internationally in several languages.

It was unique among Canadian TV series in that the producers filmed two versions of each episode.

The first was for Canada and uses Canadian geographic references and terminology. The second version was done for the United States and uses American geographic references and terminology.

The film is set in the fictional resort town of Falcon Beach, Manitoba (New England for U.S. viewers). The program is a teen drama similar in style to The O.C.

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Long and narrow, Falcon Lake lies east to west near the Manitoba-Ontario border.

Several generations of families have kept cottages at the lake, now surrounded by the provincial park.