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Saskatchewan's 10 most beautiful lakes

Saskatchewan Lakes

Saskatchewan's 10 most beautiful lakes

Saskatchewan is a prairie province, known for its beautiful open skies and acres of pretty farmland. Think: Miles of neon-yellow mustard fields, orange sunflowers, and golden wheat swaying in the breeze. It's also home to 100,000 beautiful, clean fresh water lakes with big sandy beaches, making this province the place for R&R by the shore. Plus, you know there will be plenty of spots for boating, swimming, windsurfing, paddling, and fishing, too.

 

In fact, the fresh water anglingExternal Link Title is some of the best in the world, and you might just hook the big one. Saskatchewan lakes have yielded three world-record-sized fish, including a 25.1-lb burbot, 48-lb rainbow trout, and 18.3-lb walleye. You can ice fishExternal Link Title, snowmobile, and cross-country skiExternal Link Title on the lakes in winter, and play in, on, and around them in summer. The easy going locals are known for being super friendly and unpretentious, and warm, sunny summers are nothing short of glorious. Here are Saskatchewan's 10 most amazing lakes, ready for exploring.

1. Little Manitou Lake

Southeast of SaskatoonExternal Link Title, Little Manitou LakeExternal Link Title is unique to the western hemisphere. It's salty -- with three times the mineral density as the ocean -- allowing swimmers to float easily, like in the Dead Sea. Many say the waters are therapeutic for the skin and body, too. Go in summer and stay at Manitou Springs ResortExternal Link Title.

2. Reindeer Lake

Fly-in fishingExternal Link Title is a big draw for Reindeer LakeExternal Link Title in northeast Saskatchewan near the Manitoba border. Expect to haul in big walleye, grayling, whitefish, lakers, and northerns from the province's second-largest lake while savoring a break from civilization at a wonderfully remote five-star lodgeExternal Link Title. It's also the deepest lake in the province at 710 feet down, carved by a meteorite 140 million years ago.

3. Good Spirit Lake

Follow a trail through dense forest and it opens up to reveal Good Spirit LakeExternal Link Title's top-rated main beach, an exceptional strip of sandy, shallow shoreline, which also boasts warm waters, miles of sand dunes, and great swimming holes. Campsites and cabins scattered throughout the pines and aspens benefit from refreshing lake breezes. Hiking options abound in this southeastern provincial parkExternal Link Title and wildlife viewing opportunities are plenty. Locals rave about this place, ideal for a classic, old-style lakeside vacation.

4. Lake Athabasca

Lake AthabascaExternal Link Title is Saskatchewan's very deepest and largest lake, covering a whopping 3,064 square miles. Just south of the Northwest Territories, it's a place of pristine natural beauty, a unique ecosystem of rare plants, and the famed vast stretch of sand dunesExternal Link Title. And of course, incredible lake trout and northern pike fishingExternal Link Title thanks to the cold waters.

5. Candle Lake

Beach vacation on your mind? It has to be centrally located Candle LakeExternal Link Title, best for clear water and sandy beaches surrounded by pine and aspen forest. CampingExternal Link Title is big, as is sunbathing, and golfExternal Link Title nearby in the resort village. The lake's Sandy Bay, Waskateena, and Minowukaw are some of the top lake beaches in the country. Add canoeing, cycling, and sailing to the activities list, if you want a more active vacation.

6. Lake Diefenbaker

Dubbed Canada's Great Lake, manmade Lake DiefenbakerExternal Link Title in southern Saskatchewan is where you want to go for boating, golf, and some of the best walleye angling around -- this is the lake that produces record-breakers. You'll also want to play in the seven parks, watch a movie at an old-style at the drive-inExternal Link Title, campExternal Link Title, bird watch, and take advantage of the 500 miles of sandy-beach shoreline.

7. Lac La Ronge

Canoeing is the thing at Lac La RongeExternal Link Title, in the boreal forest of central Saskatchewan. The provincial parkExternal Link Title is globally renowned as wilderness canoe heaven. Follow one of 30 paddling routes along the Churchill River system inside the rocky outcroppings of the Canadian Shield, just like fur-trading voyageursExternal Link Title once did en route to Hudson Bay. Or fish in the lake, looking out for beaver, bald eagles, and muskrat.

8. Waskesiu Lake

If you like quiet, choose tranquil Trippes BeachExternal Link Title on Waskesiu LakeExternal Link Title's sleepy southwest side. It's also set in central Prince Albert National ParkExternal Link Title, one of the province's most scenic. Pack a picnic and a good book. Swim, lounge, sunbathe, play Frisbee, bike, or hike, and if you decide you need some action, head to the resort villageExternal Link Title.

9. Katepwa Beach

Tiny Katepwa Point Provincial ParkExternal Link Title northeast of ReginaExternal Link Title was one of Saskatchewan's very first six parks, and it's still lovely. The green, hilly, rural Qu'Appelle ValleyExternal Link Title, originally settled in the 1890s by European immigrants, is worth the trip alone to Katepwa BeachExternal Link Title, the prettiest in the area. Picnic and barbecue, and watch the sun set over the lake from your rented cabin deck.

10. Meadow Lake

The challenging 70-mile Boreal Trail External Link Titleof Meadow Lake Provincial ParkExternal Link Title in central Saskatchewan is the provincial park network's single backpacking trail -- through forest and past some 20 lakes. Combine a backcountry adventure with R&R on classic Kimball Lake beachExternal Link Title, a large golden-sand beach. Water ski, paddle, boat, windsurf, swim, play volleyball, or just float along under the big prairie sky.

Plan your visit now at the Tourism Saskatchewan website.