Lake, south-central Manitoba , Canada.
Located northwest of Winnipeg , it drains into Lake Winnipeg . It is more than 125 mi (200 km) long and up to 28 mi (45 km) wide, with an area of 1,785 sq mi (4,624 sq km). It was discovered in 1738 by Pierre La Vérendrye , who named it Lac des Prairies. The name Manitoba is believed to come from the Algonquian word maniot-bau or maniot-wapau ("strait of the spirit").