The origin of the name is probably "Mjors", or the older one "Merso",
 meaning the glittering one, or the shiny one. 

The lake surface: 365 square kilometers.

Length: 117 km Lillehammer - Minnesund.

Greatest width: 15 km Hamar - Totenvika.

Greatest depth: 453 m, 330 m below sea level. That is far lower than the sea floor of the Skagerak! A depth of 475 m is reported , but this is not verified.

Average depth: 178 m

Height: ca 123 m above sea level is the normal water level today. 

Regulations: Mjoesa has been regulated four times.

1. time in 1858 to improve the communication. The Sundfoss Dam at Eidsvoll was built to improve the waterways of Vorma for the steamers between Mjoesa down to Eidsvoll. The railroad Eidsvoll - Oslo was built in 1854, the first railroad ever in Norway.

2. 1911, the Svanfoss Dam was built 13 km below Eidsvoll for hydroelectric purposes. This raised the water level of Mjoesa 2,2 m.

3. 1947, the next step, the dam added the level to 2,86 m.

4. 1965, the final step raised the level to 3,61 m from the original one.

Before these regulations Mjoesa looked very much like today except for the few areas of shallows. At these areas, mostly a few estuaries and the Nes sound, everything shallower than a deep of 3,61 m were dry land 143 years ago.
Since 1956 the water level of Mjoesa is measured at Hamar. Zero is 1,64 m above the original level. The normal water level of today: 117,9m + 1,64 = 119,54 m + 3,61 m = 123,15 m

Floods: The one in 1789 is the one best known, since it caused so much damage, raising the level of the lake 10 m. 4000 houses were swept away and 68 people lost their lives in Gudbrandsdalen alone, the long valley at the nort end of the lake. The surface of Mjoesa was literally covered with debris the following year. Big floods with devastating effects also occured in 1895, 1910, -27, -37, -39, -67 and in 1995. Stupidly enough many recent buildings have been built close to the lake surface. Politicians planning industrial areas and bureaucrats issuing building permits to small industry and malls totally forget that the water level rises now and then far beyond the drainage capacity of the outlet Vorma River.

Water content of Mjoesa: 65 244 millions cubic meters.

Total drainage area that provides water for the lake: 16.420 square kilometers

Shoreline: 273 km. Alas, over 30 % is wasted by railroads or roads.

Counties: OPPLAND (the western side), HEDMARK (the eastern side) and AKERSHUS (the south end of the lake).

Communities:
Hedmark: RINGSAKER, HAMAR/STANGE.
Oppland: LILLEHAMMER, GJØVIK, ØSTRE TOTEN.
Akershus: EIDSVOLD.

Towns: 
Lillehammer, main host of the winter olympic games of 1994. Museum: Maihaugen.
Gjøvik, Fjellhallen (olymic arena) which is a big arena inside the mountain. Museum: Eiketun.
Hamar, Hamar Olympiahall/Vikingskipet, Hamar OL-Amfi/Nordlyshallen (olympic arenas). Hedmark Museum at Domkirkeodden. The ruin of the medieval cathedral now enclosed in a big glass "cathedral". Norwegian Railroad Museum.

For visitors and tourists !

Lillehammer Tourist Office: info@lillehammerturist.no ,  http://www.lillehammerturist.no
Ringsaker Tourist Information:   ringsvgs@online.no ,  http://www.ringsaker-info.no
The Tourist Office Gjøvik:   info@visitgjovik-toten.no ,  http://www.visitgjovik-toten.com

Bridges: The Mjoes Bridge is part of the main road E6 connecting the east side, Moelv, and the west side, Biri.

Rivers running into the lake:
At the north end of Mjoesa: Gudbrandsdalslågen runs into Mjoesa. This river comes from Lesjaskog lake, but it also drains glacial water from the Jostedalen Glacier by the Otta River. Besides there are 17 bigger or smaller rivers runs that feeds directly into the lake.
The south end of the lake: Vorma runs out of the lake at Minnesund. Vorma River hits Glomma River at Vormsund, finally ending in the sea at the city of Fredrikstad.

Creeks running directly into the lake: 131 creeks, of which 47 are registered as spawning creeks for trout: 131 creeks, of which 47 are registered as spawning creeks for trout.

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