[2] Lake Matapedia is located about thirty kilometers south of Matane in the former Seignory of Lac-Matapédia granted in 1694 to Charles-Nicolas-Joseph Damours of Louvières.

In addition, in 1815, the geographer Joseph Bouchette named Lac Malapediach in his Topographical Description, while writing Metapediach in the index of the work.

[2] Father Pacifique writes that the Mi'kmaq name Matapedia comes from "matapegiag", meaning "the river splits into several branches, makes a fork".

[2] The toponym "Lac Matapédia" was officially registered on December 5, 1968 at the place name bank of the Commission de toponymie du Québec.

The International Appalachian Trail runs along the north shore of Lake Matapedia, connecting Causapscal to the Réserve faunique de Matane.