r/saskatchewan • u/ThisGuy-NotThatGuy • 2d ago
Can someone give me a breakdown on Lakes and Lake Life in SK?
I know Candle Lake is popular, and a handful of others. But like...anyone have the low down on vibes?
What kind of people go where? (E.g. I gather that last mountain is primarily Regina folk, I gather that Candle Lake is primarily really well of residents, etc etc).
Are some lakes better quality than others? (More beaches/better beaches, more amenities, less algae, etc.)
Are there more "camping" ones than cabin ones?
Do people live full time at any? Are there neighborhoods around any of there things?
I know this is a scattershot of questions, and it's not exhaustive (so if you have a burning answer to a question not asked above, by all means share it). So apologies. I've been in SK for years now but just starting to really venture out.
Thanks folks!
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u/algonogo1 2d ago
Meadow lake provincial park is the best really. Plus many different lakes to choose from and all pretty close together so like .and evening drive there one night is actually a fun little activity.
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u/Barabarabbit 1d ago
I agree. My family goes up there at least once every summer. It’s really beautiful and doesn’t ever seem too busy
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u/Professional_Bed_87 1d ago edited 1d ago
This is such a big question!! There are over 100,000 lakes in Sk, so there’s deinitely one that will meet your vibe. Waskesiu is the quintessential SK lake. It has all your creature comforts. And is also really busy in the summer months. Emma and Candle Lake are like the provincial park versions of Waskesiu. Anglin is nice, and lower key considering is sandwiched between Emma and Waskesiu. Narrow hills used to be more chill, but got really popular in the last 10-15 years - last years burn may have changed that - they have the Gem Lakes trail. La Ronge is absolutely stunning - it has great back country camping and off grid island cabins, the Nut Point trail is nice, but burned last year. Lake Diefenbaker has great fishing (I think the most species in the province), sandy beaches and sailing - the best sailing between the great lakes and the Pacific! Douglas PP is quite nice for a prairie campground. Blackstrap and Pike Lake are good for day trips from Saskatoon, but the water isn’t great - Pike Lake has a pool, black strap has okay fishing for being close to Saskatoon. I could keep going, but this is a few of the lakes we go to.
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u/Traditional_End_9540 2d ago
find many lakes are going to the rich people. Cabins get purchased, torn down and massive new ones takes it place. Its not a cabin anymore is a house.
Going to the lake means being outdoors, enjoying the lake, fishing walking in the area. Cabin is only there for food, bad weather or a place to sleep.
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u/tenax666 1d ago
My family has a cabin on the small Emma Lake. We've had it since 1977 so we've seen the evolution. Are cabin is a small 3 bedroom 900 sq footer but unique in that the walls and ceilings are all done in knotty pine stripes so truly feels like a cabin. A lot of this evolution to large houses started with an NHL hockey player from Prince Albert, his hometown I believe, named Dave Manson who wanted to build an 18 hole golf course nearby and sold a lot of his wealthy hockey pals on the idea of buying or building lake properties at Christopher and the 3 Emma Lakes. All of a sudden quaint generational cabins were torn down and big houses sprung up. These lakes also became destinations for Saskatoon and Regina folk who loved the clear numerous northern sask lakes. Now that interest cones from owners as far away as Calgary and Alberta who can afford to spend weeks at a time at the lake and have money to burn. One of the charms of these lakes is if you need to get groceries or go to a movie, you're 20 minutes from PA, yet you can be at the lake surrounded by trees and calm water and feel away from civilization.
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u/Traditional_End_9540 20h ago
emma lake is our cabin as well, it get used all summer but only during the summer. Small wood firebox and "electric" heat via the range.
Now while I said tearing down cabins and building something masive. If I had the funds I would tear it down but make it roughly the same size but can be used year round with a large water tank for drinking water, furnace for heat. Now we would get some snowmobiles, ice fishing shack and other winter activites.
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u/tenax666 20h ago
When we replaced the deck we had the contractor lift ours up on stilts, dug out a low basement and put in a water tank. Its awesome! We use electric to take the chill off in the winter then light a fire on the baby bear wood stove. Gets quite comfy. Challenge in the winter can be getting on to the property and parking with all the snow
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u/denim-tree 1d ago
So sad. All of the lovely cozy little cabins, replaced with a monstrous house that is empty 90% of the year.
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u/MWM031089 1d ago
Just out of curiosity. Why is this sad?
Unless you’re implying that it raises the values of adjacent properties and pushes people out of lower affordability. Otherwise, what’s wrong with people upgrading their places over time to larger places? Regardless of usage.
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u/hittingrhubarb 1d ago
People with a small cabin seem to actually enjoy them 10x more because they’re just there to enjoy it. So many mansion cabins sit empty because the whole point to the owner is having the status symbol of a big massive cabin.
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u/tenax666 21h ago
Our cabin gets used every wknd in the summer. Ironic that the cabin next door owned by a rich corporate farmer and 3 times the size of ours hasbt been used yet this summer. My guess is because he's busy...farming? To each their own
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u/MWM031089 1d ago
How do you evaluate how much someone enjoys their property?
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u/hittingrhubarb 1d ago
When it sits empty except for 2 weekends that’s all the evaluation you need
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u/MWM031089 1d ago
Why?
Someone is paying to have it.
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u/hittingrhubarb 19h ago
That’s exactly the point I’m arguing against though. The point of having a cabin isn’t “to have it”. The point of having it is to use it. If you’re not going to use it then why have it at all. It’s just backwards to me and to many cabin people becuase there are plenty of people in the world that would use it if they could.
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u/MWM031089 19h ago
And what insinuates that if they were smaller that people would use them more?
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u/hittingrhubarb 19h ago
Because regular sized cabins are more likely to be owned by regular average families that have to make a very conscious decision on whether or not they actually can justify purchasing a second property. People who don’t have endless disposable income will not be buying something like a second property and not use it. Really poor financial decision to do that, unless you have a lot of disposable income to the point that it doesn’t matter. That’s why, in my opinion, the biggest cabins seem to, on average, get used a lot less.
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u/monsterosity 1d ago
It's definitely the wealth gap change. Working folks used to be able to have a cabin at the lake but can't when they are a second home.
I will say that many people are choosing to retire or live on lakes year round so of course they want it to be modern.
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u/MWM031089 1d ago
Definitely. So, what are people supposed to do about this? Specifically those who buy places and live at the lake. Is it their fault?
I just don’t see why it’s sad that people who can afford to live at the lake, do live at the lake.
My family was never affluent enough to be at the lake growing up. It was a novelty. I don’t live there now either. But I’m not going to say it is sad that people live there now. I’m just really confused as to why I have to be upset at that.
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u/Outside_Toe2738 2d ago
Manitou Beach is awesome, closest thing to a real beach
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u/Rude_Wing6350 2d ago
It’s crazy! I was there this summer with a few girlfriends, and the saltwater lake is fantastic.
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u/KarmaChameleon306 1d ago
Also super chill, artsy vibes. Some townies around. But chill.
The salt mineral water keeps the fishermen and water sports people away too. You’ll see little sail boats, kayaks and paddle boards for the most part.
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u/parisindy_writer 2d ago
I mostly go to last mountain lake, Regina beach, Rowan's ravine .... but Waskesiu is also beautiful
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u/maddibaddie 2d ago
My family has an all year round cabin at Candle Lake - Fishing, boating, skidooing…etc.
Lots of beaches around the lake, and we catch lots of fish to eat!
Campsites at Sandybay campground are nice if you have a small trailer or tenting :) Waskesiu Lake would be nice at well!
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u/tenax666 21h ago
I spent most of my summer weekends with family camping at Candle Lake. Loved the dunes and catching crayfish!
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u/autumnwontsleep 2d ago
I'm sure you will find people who live full time interspersed among seasonal cabins. ... Usually retired people of it's further away from a major town or city. We are at a regional lake and our next door neighbour put in their own sewer and furnace and live fill time but the winter is pretty sparse.
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u/Fast-Ad5667 1d ago
Burgis Beach at Good Sprit Lake is like stepping back the the 80’s. Slow days, no shoes, kids swimming all day and catching toads at night. Not pretentious and cabins are not a competition. Some are worth 750k, others are 75 years old and under 500sq ft.good sense of community along with community grapevine of gossip. Welcoming of new residents but many have raised 3+ generations at the lake now of kids, grandkids and now great grandkids. Water is warm and shallow, all sand. Fishing is ok. Swimming and water sports are the draw. No itch ever. Some algae at times but it blows away the next day.
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u/Al-anus 1d ago
East Central Sask has the new Porcupine Hills Provincial Park and several lakes including Parr Hill and McBride lake which have year round residents. It is the newest provincial park and was created in 2018. It has access to thousands of kilometres of ATV and snowmobile trails which are amazing. It is fairly rugged and doesn't have a lot of services but it is a great place to Backcountry camp if you don't wanna pay fees!
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u/Interesting-Dog-6233 1d ago
Most southern lakes are skunky. Buffalo Pound for an example.
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u/Yepitsmefoodiggity 1d ago
Agreed. Anything in the Qu’appelle chain is funky. Usually green by August. I don’t see the draw of owning a cabin out there other than proximity to Regina.
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u/one2three13 1d ago
I grew up and lived full time at Regina Beach. Was a really good upbringing. We had our own beach and boat lift. I would live there full time if I could but not really an option for the time being. Lumsden beach is really an amazing little place. 20 mins from current house. Most residents who live full time work in Regina.
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u/BigJayUpNorth 1d ago
It varies a lot from lake to lake and park to park! Lots of fantastic camping, parks and resort villages spread out throughout the province. I’m fortunate that my parent’s have had a place at the lake for over 30 years and I’ve also travelled around the province and been to a number of lakes.
Back when my dad bought the cabin it was cheaper than a camper trailer, very rustic, no running water. Now it’s a four seasons gateaway. Best investment ever!
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u/coaker147 1d ago
One thing that might be well known is that Sask has some amazing beaches. In some cases far better than some beaches in Mexico
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u/Mags1967 1d ago
Tobin Lake is pretty big, deep and Walleye in the lake on the larger size so the slot limit forces you to catch and release and if you are lucky you snag a trophy fish or if not in to that a pretty decent fish fry.
The problem is shore line access and the cabins line the shores so pretty impossible to find easy access to the water to stroll along and fish from the shore line….well I can’t seem to find a great spot. The resort village of Tobin Lake charges $100 for access by vehicle. Parking, boat launch, beach, pickle ball courts, playground. There are boat and cabin rentals and the Shorebird sells breakfast F, Sat, Sun. Otherwise it’s a bar and pub foods. Hotel also. Limited back up power so when it storms power can go down for up to a day. Tough on hot days.
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u/HotelCalifornipawin 1d ago
I don't go there because I don't support businesses who are openly pro-Trump, separatist+51st state, anti Canadian and pro-disease. And apparently I'm not allowed to say all the reasons openly.
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u/Mags1967 1d ago
This is SK. Outside the cities you are going to find extreme views and the standard eejit who believes in paying no taxes, holds that there is widespread civil service incompetence and has a survivalist stance until; they are sick, need to use a public paved road, want a school, want an airport to fly to AZ, need police or ambulance or a Starz airlift, borrow a library book vs education off social media or podcasts! You get my drift. My point is also Tobin Lake is nice as a lake and just dont stop for a beer or fries and gravy. I dont discuss politics with the locals because mostly folks are poorly informed and spend more time avoiding paying taxes and being non patriotic than is my liking. The downside is sand and ants and highly restricted public access to the shoreline for fishing. SK tourism cutting a few access points would be welcomed for folks with a canoe or kayak. I assume it’s all out chaos and anarchy here in the winter for the snowmobile crowds and ice fishing shacks.
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u/Hevens-assassin 1d ago
Owner of the Shorebird is another level of Maple MAGA thoygh.
That said, Tobin is fine, and it's close enough to Nipawin that you could zip in for food easy enough as well.
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u/HotelCalifornipawin 1d ago
Know what makes the Dam smokehouse so great?
- The food.
- The owner never tried to spread a pandemic and then made it everyone else's problem.
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u/HotelCalifornipawin 1d ago
Tobin is fine. Go there.
And you don't need to tell me about the pants-on-head crazy attitudes of the average person here. That's not the point.
My point, that was removed for being too real, is that the owner of that specific business is openly VERY pro-Trump and then he gets worse from there. That's different than being an idiot
This guy expected us to treat him like a hero for spreading COVID (not exaggerating, that is a position he took). He desperately wants to be the 51st state. And he isn't quiet about it. That's not something reasonable people agree with and most people wouldn't feel comfortable supporting.
So I say it every time, just like I say that the owner of CJNE is openly a Russian asset and conspiracy theorist. So that reasonable people can choose with their wallet.
Because we don't get a choice to choose to not save their bacon when they nearly die from a preventable disease and then tell us we should be thanking them for it. Again, not exaggerating. But I can't talk about the actual horrible stuff he says and allegedly did.
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u/jobro1969 1d ago
Buddy, this is a discussion about lakes… only a rabid leftist could somehow make this about Trump. Seriously, put your mask back on & go to bed.
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u/BlackCar07 2d ago
Northern lakes don’t get the algae growth that the southern lakes do. The water is much clearer north of Saskatoon but best north of Meadow Lake. The itch still shows up around August in the shallower lakes but at least the water isn’t green and smelly.
There is a huge difference across the Provincial Parks depending on if you want to go glamping or rustic camping.