St. John's Lough Loch Eoin |
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Location | County Leitrim |
Coordinates | 54°2′25″N 7°51′47″W / 54.04028°N 7.86306°WCoordinates: 54°2′25″N 7°51′47″W / 54.04028°N 7.86306°W |
Primary inflows | Shannon–Erne Waterway |
Primary outflows | Shannon–Erne Waterway |
Catchment area | 22.56 km2 (8.7 sq mi) |
Basin countries | Ireland |
Max. length | 3 km (1.9 mi) |
Surface area | 1.46 km2 (0.56 sq mi) |
Max. depth | 5 m (16 ft) |
Surface elevation | 60 m (200 ft) |
References |
St. John's Lough (Irish: Loch Eoin), also known as St. John's Lake, is a irregularly shaped freshwater lake located in south County Leitrim, in northwest of Ireland. The lake forms part of the wider Shannon–Erne Waterway tourist attraction. The ecology of John's Lough, and the Shannon-system, is threatened by pollution and invasive species such as curly waterweed, zebra mussel, and freshwater clam.
Named after Irish: Eóin Baiste, meaning "John the Baptist", the lake is therefore named "the lake of John".
St. John's Lough is a shallow freshwater lake 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) west of Ballinamore, covering a surface area somewhere between 1.46 km2 (0.6 sq mi) and 1.89 km2 (0.7 sq mi). Saint John's Lough extends from Ballyduff Bridge in the north-east, before dividing into three broad reaches separated by narrow passes, or straits. The "Derrymacoffin Pass" connects the Ballinamore canal and northern lake portion to the central John's lough, and the "Muckross Pass" connects the central lough to the southern lough. The catchment area comprises Forestry (2%), pasture (55%), and other agriculture (43%), according ot CORINE data. The R208 regional road follows the lakes northern boundary, crossing the Ballinamore canal at Ballyduff Bridge.
Fish present in John's Lough include "roach-bream hybrids", Roach, Perch, Bream (1-2lbs), and Pike. The pike population is the "native Irish strain" (Irish: liús meaning 'Irish Pike') not the other European Pike strain (Irish: gailliasc meaning 'strange or foreign fish'). The water quality was reported to be satisfactory c. 2001 – c. 2003 with a mesotrophic rating.