In 1775, during the invasion of Canada, the armed troops of General Benedict Arnold struggled in their crossing of the lake because of the marshy surroundings.

In the first half of the 19th century, in the process of surveying the townships, the particular shape of this body of water inspired the name "Spider Lake".

The hamlet of Trois-Lacs included a small road which allows to take the steamer Lena which made the transport on Lac Mégantic; another small steamboat, on Lac aux Araignées, transported travelers to the Macannamac Hotel, an imposing 3-story building, where a large hall included an imposing fireplace or burned a wood fire, with guides who were available for hunting and fishing.

The French use of the translated form "Lac aux Araignées" was established, it seems, in the 1920s and subsequently became official.

[3] The toponym "lac aux Araignées" was made official on December 5, 1968, at the Commission de toponymie du Québec.