[2] Its Hamilton Inlet and Melville Lake extensions stretch 140 km (87 mi) inland.

Groswater Bay's name is a compound formed from French gros ("fat; thick; coarse, rough") and English water, reflecting the long history of using the area for fishing.

[3] It has also been known as Ivucktoke or Aviktok (Inuttitut: Aivitok); Eskimo or Esquimaux Bay (French: Baie des Esquimaux, "Bay of the Eskimos"); and St Louis Bay (French: Baie-St Louis).

These names are also sometimes extended to Hamilton Inlet and even Lake Melville.

[4] Many birds nest here, including common eiders.