The northern and western portions of the Lake Opawica watershed are accessible via the forest road route 113 linking Chibougamau to Lebel-sur-Quévillon.

A forest road serving the southern, eastern and northern shores of Opawica and Wachigabau lakes connects via the north to route 113.

The surface of Opawica Lake is usually frozen from early November to mid-May, however, safe ice movement is generally from mid-November to mid-April.

This body of water is indicated under the graph "Opawakow Sagagan Gold Sandy Point L." on the map of explorations of Henry O'Sullivan (1897-1899), published in 1900.

This toponym is mentioned in the Dictionary of Rivers and Lakes of the Province of Quebec in 1925; this word Cree means there is a pass, a narrowing between sandbanks.