Cree Lake
{{Short description|Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name = Cree Lake
| image = NASA Canada.A2002236.1810.721.250m (1).jpg
| image_size = 255
| caption = Satellite image of Cree Lake{{cite web
| title = NASA Visible Earth (BURN SCARS IN SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA) Note: Dark to light rust coloured areas are burn scars from forest fires
| url = http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=61868
| date = August 24, 2002
| accessdate =2014-09-14}}
| image_bathymetry =
| caption_bathymetry =
| pushpin_map = Saskatchewan#Canada
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Cree Lake in Saskatchewan
| location = Northern Saskatchewan Administration District
| coords = {{coord|57|30|N|106|30|W|display=inline,title}}
| lake_type = Glacial lake
| inflow = {{hlist|Brustad River|Karras River|Routledge River}}
| rivers = Canadian Shield
| outflow = Cree River
| catchment = {{cvt|4468|km2}}
| part_of = Mackenzie River drainage basin
| basin_countries = Canada
| length = {{cvt|81|km}}
| width = {{cvt|57|km}}
| area = {{cvt|115200|ha}}
| depth = {{cvt|14.9|m}}
| max-depth = {{cvt|60|m}}
| volume = {{cvt|17600000|dam3|acre.ft}}
| residence_time =
| shore = {{cvt|2180|km}}
| elevation = {{cvt|487|m}}
| islands = {{hlist|Auriat Island|Cowie Island|Flemming Island|Ispatinow Island|Johns Island|Turner Island}}
| cities =
| reference = {{cite web
| title =World Lake Database (Cree Lake)
| url =http://wldb.ilec.or.jp/LakeDB2/Lake.asp?LakeID=SNAM-038&RoutePrm=0%3A%3B6%3Aload%3B8%3Aload%3B
| accessdate =2013-03-03
| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120401100542/http://wldb.ilec.or.jp/LakeDB2/Lake.asp?LakeID=SNAM-038&RoutePrm=0:%3B6:load%3B8:load%3B
| archive-date =2012-04-01
| url-status =dead}}
}}
Cree Lake{{cite web |title=Cree Lake|url=https://toponymes.rncan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique/HATHA|website=Canadian Geographical Names Database |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=9 January 2025}} is a large glacial lake in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The lake is the fourth largest in the province and is located west of Reindeer Lake and south of Lake Athabasca in the Mackenzie River drainage basin. Cree Lake is the remnant of a large proglacial lake that flowed south into the Churchill River during the last ice age.
Cree Lake has no highway access. Floatplanes are the means used to access the lodges and amenities on the lake.
Description
Cree Lake is in the Canadian Shield in Saskatchewan's Northern Administration District. Covering an area of {{convert|115200|ha}}, it is Saskatchewan's fourth largest lake. It spans a length of {{convert|81|km}}, a width of {{convert|57|km}}, and has a depth of about {{convert|60|m}}.{{cite web |title=Cree Lake Fishing Map |url=https://www.gpsnauticalcharts.com/main/ca_sk_cree_lake_sk-cree-lake-nautical-chart.html |website=GPS Nautical Charts |publisher=Bist LLC. |access-date=10 January 2025}} The lake has many islands and a jagged shoreline that measures about {{convert|2180|km}} long. Several rivers feed the lake with the larger ones being Brustad River,{{cite web |title=Brustad River|url=https://toponymes.rncan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique/HATUJ|website=Canadian Geographical Names Database |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=14 January 2025}} Karras River,{{cite web |title=Karras River|url=https://toponymes.rncan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique/HASDB|website=Canadian Geographical Names Database |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=14 January 2025}} and Routledge River.{{cite web |title=Routledge River|url=https://toponymes.rncan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique/HAJIP|website=Canadian Geographical Names Database |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=14 January 2025}} Cree River, the lake's outflow, flows out at the northern end and heads north into Black Lake, which is connected to Lake Athabasca via the Fond du Lac River. The whole system is part of the Mackenzie River drainage basin.{{cite web |last1=Evans |first1=David |title=Cree Lake |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/cree-lake |publisher=The Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=10 January 2025 |date=6 February 2006}}
South of Cree Lake is a portage that connects it to the Mudjatik River,{{cite web |title=Mudjatik River|url=https://toponymes.rncan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique/HAPAJ|website=Canadian Geographical Names Database |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=14 January 2025}} which is a tributary of the Churchill River. The Churchill River flows east into the Hudson Bay.
= Proglacial lake =
Cree Lake is the remnant of a much larger proglacial lake. The proglacial lake was formed by the meltwaters of retreating continental glaciers during the last ice age about 8,700 years ago. This proglacial lake flowed south into the Churchill River drainage basin via glacial spillways. After the retreat of the glaciers, isostatic rebound redirected Cree Lake's outflow to the north. The lake's current elevation is {{convert|487|m}} above sea level while that proglacial lake reached a height of {{convert|520|m}}.{{cite web |last1=Lewry |first1=Marilyn |title=Cree Lake |url=https://teaching.usask.ca/indigenoussk/import/cree_lake.php |website=Indigenous Saskatchewan Encyclopedia |publisher=University of Saskatchewan |access-date=10 January 2025}}
Cree Lake settlements
Cree Lake is in the traditional territory of the Dene and the English River Dene Nation, which is based in Patuanak. There are three Indian reserves on the lake; Cree Lake 192G and Cable Bay 192M are at the south-west corner and Barkwell Bay 192I is at the northern end on Barkwell Bay.{{cite web
| title =AANDC Reserves/Settlements/Villages
| url =https://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/fnp/Main/Search/FNReserves.aspx?BAND_NUMBER=400&lang=eng
| website =Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
| date=14 November 2008 | publisher =Government of Canada
| accessdate =2013-03-03}}
A Dene settlement with an airport was located on the south-west shore of the lake ({{coord|57|21|15.19|N|107|7|41.52|W}}). It may have been the location of a Hudson's Bay Company trading post from 1891 to 1902.{{cite web
| title =Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan (Cree Lake Post)
| url =http://www.northamericanforts.com/Canada/sk-north.html#clear
| date =
| accessdate =2013-03-03 }} In 1971 there were 36 residents (22 were First Nations).{{cite web
| title =University of Saskatchewan Northern Research Portal (R.M. Bone fonds)
| url =http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/northern/search_metadata.php?status=search&field1=FileItemReference&search1=General%20files.%20Cree%20Lake&match1=phrase&MediaLimit=all
| date =
| accessdate =2013-03-03 }}
Another settlement was located at the north-east end of the lake near the Cree River outflow. In the 1960s it had an airport, a small log church and numerous houses ({{coord|57|42|39|N|106|15|49|W}}).{{cite web
| title =Main Street, Saskatchewan (Cree Lake)
| url =http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/mainstreet/creelake.html
| date =
| accessdate =2013-03-03 }} A fish plant on Turner Island was built in 1957 by Waite Fisheries.
Other locations on Cree Lake with populations in the 1970s were the Cree Lake Weather Station in the south-west at the entrance to Cable Bay and an airfield (with 10 people) there operated by the Canadian Government. On Turner Island, there was the Cree Lake DNS Radio Station (Department of Northern Saskatchewan) with 10 people and a camp at the north-end with 15 people.
Recreation and amenities
Crystal Lodge is a fly-in fishing lodge on Ispatinow Island in Cree Lake. The lodge has cabins, walled tents, a firepit area, and 16 or 18-foot aluminum boats for guests. Access to the lodge is from Cree Lake/Crystal Lodge (Midgett Field) Aerodrome and Cree Lake (Crystal Lodge) Water Aerodrome.{{cite web |title=Crystal Lodge Cree Lake |url=https://tourismsaskatchewan.com/listings/1649/crystal-lodge-cree-lake |website=Tourism Saskatchewan |publisher=Government of Saskatchewan |access-date=10 January 2025}}{{CFS}}
At the northern end of the lake, at the southern tip of Rushmer Peninsula, is another fly-in lodge called Cree Lake Lodge. It has guided fishing tours and bear hunts.{{cite web |title=Cree Lake Lodge |url=https://www.tourismsaskatchewan.com/listings/624/cree-lake-lodge |website=Tourism Saskatchewan |publisher=Government of Saskatchewan |access-date=10 January 2025}}
Fish species
Fish species include walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, lake trout, lake whitefish, cisco, burbot, Arctic grayling, white sucker, and longnose sucker.{{cite web |title=Cree Lake |url=https://www.anglersatlas.com/place/112795/cree-lake |publisher=Angler's Atlas |access-date=10 January 2025}}{{cite web |title=Cree Lake |url=https://fishbrain.com/fishing-waters/r515A8iC/cree-lake |publisher=Fishbrain |access-date=10 January 2025}}
GeoMemorial Commemorative Naming Program
The GeoMemorial Commemorative Naming Program is a program that names geographical features in honour of those who lost their lives in the service of Canada.{{cite web |title=GeoMemorial Commemorative Naming Program |url=https://sasklakes.ca/geomemorial-commemorative-naming-program/?search=Colin+Bird |publisher=Sask Lakes |access-date=25 January 2025}} Many islands in Cree Lake have been name through this program:{{cite web |last1=Siemens |first1=Matthew |title=Cree Lake |url=https://sasklakes.ca/cree-lake/ |publisher=SaskLakes |access-date=10 January 2025}}
- Pelletier Island — named after John Pelletier
- Turner Island — named after Alfred Gordon Turner
- Rogers Island — named after Sidney John Rogers
- Long Island — named after Lindsay Lester Long
- Keeping Island — named after John Ross Keeping
- Fleming Island — named after Kenneth Gordon Fleming
- Johns Island — named after Irving Lawrence Johns
- Morrison Island — named after Earl Wellington Morrison
- Dixon Island — named after Garth Lavain Dixon
- Currie Island — Arthur Archibald Currie
- Davies Island — named after Leonard Owen Davies
- Dahl Island — named after William Earl Dahl
- Davidson Island — named after Marvin Davidson
- Auriat Island — named after Jean Marie Joseph Auriat{{cite web |title=In memory of Private Jean Marie Joseph Auriat |url=https://svwm.ca/casualty-display/?ID=A000006558 |publisher=Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial |access-date=17 January 2025}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://creelake.fishing/ Crystal Lodge]
- [https://www.creelakelodge.com/ Cree Lake Lodge]
{{Canada topic|List of lakes of}}
{{GeoGroup}}
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