Jackfish Lake (Saskatchewan)
| Jackfish Lake | |
|---|---|
Dusk at Jackfish Lake | |
Jackfish Lake Location in Saskatchewan Jackfish Lake Jackfish Lake (Canada) | |
| Location | RM of Meota No. 468, Saskatchewan |
| Coordinates | 53°04′00″N 108°24′03″W / 53.0667°N 108.4007°W |
| Part of | Saskatchewan River drainage basin |
| Primary inflows |
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| Primary outflows | Jackfish River |
| Catchment area | 3,320 km2 (1,280 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 14.8 km (9.2 mi) |
| Max. width | 9 km (5.6 mi) |
| Surface area | 7,212.6 ha (17,823 acres) |
| Average depth | 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) |
| Max. depth | 7.1 m (23 ft) |
| Shore length1 | 42 km (26 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 528 m (1,732 ft)[1] |
| Settlements | |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Jackfish Lake[2] is a large, shallow lake in central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is about 48 kilometres (30 mi) south of the village of Edam in the Rural Municipality of Meota No. 468. There are several communities and two parks along the lake's shores. Access to the lake and its amenities is from Highways 4, 26, 697, 674, 769, and 204.
Jackfish River,[3] located at the lake's southern end, is the primary outflow. The river exits at the south end of the lake through a control structure that was built in 1966 that regulates Jackfish Lake's levels. From the control structure, the river flows south into the North Saskatchewan River about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) upstream from The Battlefords. Charette Creek, Jackfish Creek, and Lehman Creek[4] from Murray Lake at Cochin are its main inflows.[5]
Description
Jackfish Lake is in the boreal parkland ecoregion of east-central Saskatchewan. It is a large, shallow lake that covers an area of 7,212.6 hectares (17,823 acres) and has an average depth of 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in).[6] It is about 14.8 kilometres (9.2 mi) long and 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) wide. The drainage basin of the lake is 3,320 square kilometres (1,280 sq mi).
In "ancient times", when water levels were higher, Murray and Jackfish Lakes were joined as one lake. The hill south of Cochin was an island and, on the north-west side of Jackfish Lake, there are "three previous beach lines".[7]
In 1966, the Jackfish River control structure was built by the Jackfish Lake Watershed Association Board (JLWAB) at the lake's outflow to regulate water levels and ensure a stable water supply for downstream water users. The control structure ensures a maximum water level of 529.44 metres (1,737.0 ft).[8]
Communities
There are several small communities around the lake. Along the southern shore is the village of Meota, the resort village of Metinota, and the hamlet of Lakeview. Along the eastern shore is the resort village of Cochin and the hamlets of Trevessa Beach, Day's Beach, West Chatfield Beach, and Bayview Heights. Also along the eastern shore is a small part of Saulteaux 159 Indian reserve. Cochin straddles the isthmus that separarates Jackfish and Murray Lakes[9] with Murray Lake's outflow, Lehman Creek, running through the community. Just to the north of Cochin is the Cochin Lighthouse. It overlooks the community and both lakes and is Saskatchewan's only lighthouse.[10]
The resort village of Aquadeo is the only community on the northern shore and the hamlet of Martinson's Beach is the only one on the western side.
Parks and recreation
There are two parks at Jackfish Lake. The Battlefords Provincial Park is along the north-eastern shore and Meota Regional Park is along the southern.
The Battlefords Provincial Park has several beaches, three campgrounds with over 300 campsites, several hiking trails, and a golf course.[11] Meota Regional Park is in the village of Meota. It has a beach, swimming pool, ball diamonds, over 100 campsites, mini-golf, and nature trails. A golf course is located adjacent to the park.[12]
Fish species
Fish commonly found in Jackfish Lake include perch, walleye, northern pike, burbot, channel catfish, and whitefish.[13][14]
Gallery
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Pier at Jackfish Lake
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View of Jackfish Lake from Martinson's Beach.
See also
References
- ^ "Jackfish Lake topographic map". topographic-map.com. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ "Jackfish Lake". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ "Jackfish River". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
- ^ "Lehman Creek". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ "Jackfish Lake Fishing Map". Gps Nautical Charts. Bist. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ Siemens, Matthew. "Jackfish Lake". SaskLakes. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ "Meota". Regional Parks of Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan Regional Parks. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
- ^ "About The JLWAB". Jackfish Watershed. Jackfish Lake Watershed Association Number 1. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ "More About Cochin". Resort Village of Cochin. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
- ^ "Cochin Lighthouse". Destination Battlefords. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
- ^ "The Battlefords Provincial Park". Tourism Saskatchewan. Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ "Meota Regional Park". Tourism Saskatchewan. Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
- ^ "Jackfish Lake". Angler's Atlas. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ "Jackfish Lake". Fishbrain. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
External links
Media related to Jackfish Lake (Saskatchewan) at Wikimedia Commons