Kivesjärvi
Kivesjärvi
Location	Paltamo
Coordinates	64°27′N 27°25′E / 64.450°N 27.417°E / 64.450; 27.417
Type	Lake
Primary inflows	Isokoski rapids
Primary outflows	Varisjoki, Alanteenjoki
Catchment area	Oulujoki
Basin countries	Finland
Surface area	25.743 km2 (9.939 sq mi)
Average depth	4.09 m (13.4 ft)
Max. depth	12.5 m (41 ft)
Water volume	0.105 km3 (85,000 acre⋅ft)
Shore length1	88.74 km (55.14 mi)
Surface elevation	135.1 m (443 ft)
Islands	Poronsaari, Hangonsaari
Settlements	Paltamo, Kivesjärvi (village)
References	[1]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Kivesjärvi is a medium-sized lake in Paltamo, Finland. Curiously, the name Kivesjärvi literally means "testicle lake". Some say that the name derive from old giant-related folklore around the region, some say that the name originally related to the ancient word for gillnet weight, "kives", and only later became associated with the modern meaning of the word. Its average depth is four metres and the deepest point is sixteen metres deep. There is a village of the same name on the coast of the lake. The lake's area is 27 square kilometres. It is the 136th biggest lake in Finland.^[1] The lake has many islands and islets.

Kivesjärvi is a bifurcation lake, because there are two outflows: the original route is river Alanteenjoki to the lake Alanteenjärvi. In the 19th century the timber rafting workers needed a shorter route to the Oulujärvi. They made a new river named Varisjoki, and most of the outflow started to flow via it,^[2] although Kivesjärvi is still a bifurcation lake.^[3]