Pike Lake is an

oxbow lake An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake or stream pool, pool that forms when a wide meander of a river is meander cutoff, cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. The word "oxbow" can also refer to a U-shaped bend in a river or stream, whether ...

of the

South Saskatchewan River The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The river begins at the confluence of the Bow River, Bow and Oldman Rivers in southern Alberta and ends at the Saskatchewan River Forks in ce ...

in the

Canadian province Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Constitution of Canada, Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North Amer ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

. It is about south of downtown

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

in the RM of Vanscoy No. 345, west of the South Saskatchewan River. The lake is in the

aspen parkland Aspen parkland refers to a very large area of ecotone, transitional biome between prairie and boreal forest in two sections, namely the Peace River Country of northwestern Alberta crossing the border into British Columbia, and a much larger area ...

transitional biome between

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

and

boreal forest Taiga or tayga ( ; , ), also known as boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by pinophyta, coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces, and larches. The taiga, or boreal forest, is the world's largest land biome. I ...

Palliser's Triangle Palliser's Triangle (), or the Palliser Triangle, is a semi-arid steppe occupying a substantial portion of the Western Canadian Canadian Prairies, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba, within the Great Plains region. While initially determined to be ...

. Most of the southern half of Pike Lake is in Pike Lake Provincial Park and access to the lake is from Highways 60 and

766 __NOTOC__ Year 766 ( DCCLXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar, the 766th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) ''designations,'' the 766th year of the 1st millennium, the 66th year of the 8th cen ...

. An unincorporated rural residential community by the same name, Pike Lake, is located on the western shore at the northern boundary of Pike Lake Provincial Park. The community includes a school and a recreation centre. Trees around the lake include aspen, ash, and birch.

Pike Lake Water Supply

Lake water levels are controlled by a 1.5-metre high, 280-metre long spur dyke () that diverts water from the South Saskatchewan River (). The Pike Lake Water Supply, as it is known, is operated by the

Saskatchewan Water Security Agency The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency (before 2013, the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority) is an arm's length organization responsible for the management of water resources to ensure safe drinking water sources and reliable water supplies for eco ...

. Originally constructed in 1948, significant upgrades were done in the 1960s with a new pump and supply canal. By the 1990s, the South Saskatchewan River had naturally shifted course and the water levels at Pike Lake had dropped. In 1999, major upgrades were completed to the system to restore water levels. Further upgrades to the pump and canal were undertaken in 2020 at a cost of $2.8 million.

Recreation

Pike Lake Provincial Park is the main attraction on the lake. The park includes a large campground with 222 sites, an outdoor pool with a waterslide, mini-golf, a 1.5 kilometre nature trail, fishing, and beach access. At the northern end of the lake is Camp Seeonee, which is a

Scouts Canada Scouts Canada is a Canadian Scouting association that provides programs for young people ages 5 to 26. It aims "to help develop well-rounded youth, better prepared for success in the world." Scouts Canada, in affiliation with the French-language ...

camp. The camp is made up of two villages with cabins, campgrounds, picnic areas, and outdoor camp kitchens.

Fish species

The fish species most commonly found in Pike Lake is the

northern pike The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus ''Esox'' (pikes). They are commonly found in brackish water, moderately salty and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). T ...

References

{{Authority control Vanscoy No. 345, Saskatchewan Lakes of Saskatchewan Oxbow lakes of Canada Dams in Saskatchewan Dams completed in 1948

Pike Lake Water Supply

Recreation

Fish species

See also

References