Echo Lake

What visitors say

Echo Lake lies in the Qu'Appelle River Valley just northwest of Fort Qu'Appelle, about an hour's drive from Regina, and the valley itself is what most visitors talk about first. Grassy hills rise on both sides, and people single out the sunrises and sunsets over the water. One visitor thought it looked more like the South Okanagan than the prairies. It's one of the chain of Fishing Lakes, with cottages along the shore and Echo Valley Provincial Park on its western side.

The provincial park is the easiest way in. It has a long public beach with big paved parking lots, picnic tables and barbecues, a playground, mini golf and volleyball, and several campgrounds with more than 300 sites, most of them electrified. Campers describe big, shaded sites close to the water and friendly gate staff. A double concrete boat launch with a dock sits at the north end of the beach, and there's a fish-filleting shack beside it.

Anglers fish it year-round. Saskatchewan's lake information lists walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, whitefish and burbot among the species here, along with carp and channel catfish, and reviewers mention jigging for walleye and pike. In winter the lake is used for ice fishing, skating and snowshoeing, and the park trails double as cross-country ski trails.

A few things to know before you go. Several hikers picked up ticks on the grass trails, so check yourself afterwards. One local describes the water quality as poor at times. The boat launch gets busy on summer weekends, with trailers lined up by midday, so launch early. You need a Saskatchewan provincial park entry permit to use the park, and a Saskatchewan angling licence to fish; check the current regulations for limits and season dates.

Summarised from visitor reviews on Google Maps. Based on 108 Google reviews. Conditions and rules change — check current park, access and fishing regulations before you go.