Emma Lake

What visitors say

Emma Lake sits in the boreal edge country about 45 km north of Prince Albert, and visitors describe it as three lakes in one: long arms of water linked end to end, with forest down to the shore and cottages tucked along it. The northern part and much of the middle lake are surrounded by Great Blue Heron Provincial Park, and the evening sunsets over the water get plenty of mentions.

Beaches are the main draw. There are several public beaches; Sunnyside is a big one with mini golf and a canteen close by, and Neis Beach is shallow and suits small children. Murray Point Campground in the provincial park has large sites, clean washrooms and showers, and there are private RV parks around the lake too. A paved road runs all the way from Prince Albert, and the village has a co-op, cafés, a restaurant and a marina.

The lake is busy with swimmers, boaters, kayakers and canoeists. There are three places to launch: the provincial park launch, McPhail Cove and a marina with fuel and paddle-craft rentals. Saskatchewan's lake information lists walleye, northern pike and yellow perch, and people ice fish in winter. Reviewers rate the fishing as fair rather than great, so this is more a family lake than an angling trip.

Long weekends are crowded, and paddlers say speedboats and jet skis come uncomfortably close outside the swimming areas. Several visitors say algae builds up by late July, and one long-time visitor thinks water quality has slipped, so May and June are the best months to swim. Beach parking is tight and litter is sometimes left behind. A provincial park entry permit is needed inside Great Blue Heron.

Summarised from visitor reviews on Google Maps. Based on 134 Google reviews. Conditions and rules change — check current park, access and fishing regulations before you go.