Top 8 Lakes around Prince Albert National Park

For a family-friendly experience, Waskesiu Lake is an excellent choice. It's the most developed lake in the park, offering numerous amenities like beaches, restaurants, and shops in the village of Waskesiu. South Bay Beach on Waskesiu Lake provides a quieter alternative for swimming and picnicking. Additionally, Great Blue Heron Provincial Park, featuring Emma and Anglin Lakes, also offers sandy beaches and family-friendly activities.

The lakes in Prince Albert National Park offer a wide range of outdoor activities. You can enjoy hiking on trails like the Narrows Peninsula Trail or Mud Creek Trail, which are both easy and offer scenic views. Paddling, boating, fishing, and swimming are popular on many lakes. For more specific hiking options, you can explore guides like Easy hikes around Prince Albert National Park or Hiking around Prince Albert National Park.

Yes, for a more remote and backcountry experience, Crean Lake is ideal. It's the largest lake entirely within Prince Albert National Park and offers tranquility, excellent fishing, and several rustic, water-accessible backcountry campgrounds like Crean Kitchen and Chipewyan. Kingsmere Lake also provides a deep wilderness immersion with seven backcountry campgrounds, some accessible only by boat.

The Hanging Heart Lakes are an excellent option for quiet paddling, especially if Waskesiu Lake is rough. They also serve as the main gateway to the vast Crean Lake. Kingsmere Lake is another popular spot for canoeing, and it's the starting point for the Bagwa Canoe Route, connecting to other lakes like Bagwa, Lily, and Clare.

From Kingsmere Lake, you can access the iconic Grey Owl's Cabin on Ajawaan Lake via a popular hiking route, the Grey Owl Trail. This offers a unique opportunity to visit a significant historical site within the park.

The best time to visit depends on your preferred activities. Summer is popular for water sports, hiking, and camping. However, Waskesiu Lake is unique as it's the only lake in the park open for ice fishing during winter, offering a different seasonal experience. The park also transforms into a snowy playground in winter with groomed ski and snowshoe trails.

All watercraft entering Prince Albert National Park waters require a free, mandatory Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) watercraft certification permit as of April 15, 2025. This applies to all types of watercraft, including motorboats, canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards. You may also need permits for fishing within the park.

The village of Waskesiu Lake is the main resort area in Prince Albert National Park and offers plenty of places to stay, including campgrounds, cabins, and hotels, along with restaurants and shops. Great Blue Heron Provincial Park also provides options like traditional campsites, cozy cabins, or even Mongolian-style yurts.

The area around the lakes, particularly in Prince Albert National Park, is incredibly rich with plant and animal life, sitting at the meeting point of grassland prairies and boreal forest. On the Mud Creek Trail, for instance, you can see plenty of wildlife, and in spring, spawning fish draw black bears to the water, offering memorable wildlife sightings. Always be 'bear aware' and never leave food unattended.

Yes, there are several easy hiking trails. The Mud Creek Trail is a relatively easy 2-kilometer loop that follows the shoreline of Waskesiu Lake. The Narrows Peninsula Trail is another easy option. These trails are perfect for a leisurely stroll to enjoy the peaceful scenery.

Crean Lake stands out as the largest lake entirely within Prince Albert National Park, offering a truly remote and backcountry experience. It's known for its stunning natural beauty, including sandy beaches and rocky islands, and its considerably deep, emerald-green waters. Access is primarily by watercraft or via hiking and cross-country ski trails, making it ideal for those seeking tranquility away from developed areas.

Fishing is a popular activity in many of the park's lakes. Waskesiu Lake, Crean Lake, Kingsmere Lake, and the Hanging Heart Lakes all offer opportunities to catch species like lake trout, northern pike, yellow perch, and walleye. Remember that fishing permits are required.