Canoe Lake (Saskatchewan)

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Canoe Lake is in northwest Saskatchewan, Canada. It is part of the Churchill River drainage basin. The lake’s main inflows are the Arseneault River and the Keely River, and the Canoe River flows out toward Lac Île-à-la-Crosse. The lake covers about 19,260 hectares (47,600 acres) and can reach about 15 meters (49 feet) in depth. It sits at an elevation of about 437 meters (1,434 feet) above sea level and includes at least one island, Cole Island.

Nearby settlements include Canoe Narrows, Cole Bay, and Jans Bay. The lake can be reached from Highways 965 and 903. On the western shore is the Canoe Lake Recreation Site, a provincial area leased to a private operator. It covers roughly 1,585 hectares (3,920 acres) and has a campground with 46 sites, a boat launch, and access for water sports, fishing, and swimming. Access is via Highway 903.

Historically, the Hudson’s Bay Company set up a post on Canoe Lake in 1889 as a winter outpost of Île-à-la-Crosse, but it was abandoned by 1933. The recreation site runs along the western shore from Cole Bay in the south to Anderson Bay in the north. Common fish in the lake include northern pike, lake whitefish, and longnose suckers.