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Lodge

Crystal Lodge

Cree Lake, Saskatchewan

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Lake Size 355,000 acres

Max Depth 200 ft

Max Guests 6

Access fly-in

Season June – September

Pricing $$$$

About This Lodge

Fly-in fishing lodge on the sunny slope of Ispatinow Island on Cree Lake, Saskatchewan. Five guest cabins plus a main lodge and loft spaces. Each cabin is open concept with a full kitchen, beds, private bathroom and shower, and an outdoor deck with seating and BBQ. Guests fish from a fleet of new 16' and 18' Alumarine boats.

Accommodations

Lodging Type

Cabins

Max Guests

Amenities

Electricity: Yes

Running Water: Yes

Hot Water: Yes

Shower: Yes

Sink: Yes

Toilet: outhouse

Cell: No

Dock

Tackle Shop: No

Shore Lunch Kit: No

Other: Outdoor deck with seating and BBQ at each cabin; main lodge and loft spaces; light housekeeping for duration of stay; some boats have button-adjusted trolling speed. Optional add-ons: Buffalo Narrows travel, guide services, depth and fish finder, 18' boat upgrade, pre-shopped groceries, additional fuel / extended time on lake.

Fish Species

pike lake trout grayling walleye

Boats & Equipment

Boats Included

Boat Length

16' (18' upgrade available)

Boat Brand

Alumarine

Motor

30-50 hp, most with electric tilt

Motor Start

electric

Seat Type

Installed seats with casting decks and floors

Gas Included

Yes - daily fuel included with 16' boat; additional fuel / extended time on lake available as an add-on

Lake Information

Cree Lake is located in the remote Canadian Shield of northwestern Saskatchewan, approximately 300 km northwest of La Ronge, and is one of the province's largest and most impressive wilderness fisheries. Its enormous size, rugged shoreline, countless islands, and deep, clear-water basins create a diverse fishery for northern pike, lake trout, walleye, and Arctic grayling. The lake is fed by several rivers, including the Brustad, Karras, and Routledge, and drains north through the Cree River toward Black Lake and the Lake Athabasca system. With no highway access to the lake itself, fly-in fishing lodges provide access to this remote northern destination. Northern pike over 50 inches are caught with 40 inches or more being common, lake trout can reach 60 lbs with 20 lbs commonplace, dozens of arctic grayling can be caught, and quality walleye are an occasional catch rather than the main offering.

Lake Name

Cree Lake

Province

Saskatchewan

Lake Size

355,000 acres

Max Depth

200 ft

Avg Depth

49 ft

Shoreline

1350 miles

Elevation

1,598 ft

Islands

500

Lake Structure

Over 500 islands; the lake is 81 km (50.3 miles) long and 57 km (35.4 miles) wide. Guides know the bays, channels and drop-offs.

Inflows

Brustad, Karras, Routledge rivers

Outflows

Cree River

Fishing Pressure

Low – Although several lodges operate on Cree Lake, this large waterbody is only accessed by fly-in anglers and it disperses the the pressure easily.

Meals & Services

Meal Plan

Housekeeping

Meals Included

None. Guests bring or pre-order their own groceries. Kitchens have a fridge, freezer, propane stove, oven, BBQ, and all cooking and eating utensils and linens.

Guide Service

optional

Reviews & Reputation

4.9

Based on 8 reviews from across the web

Read all 8 reviews

Amy L Peterson Oct 25, 2023

Blog

Cree Lake Lodge fishing, Saskatchewan, Canada - Day 6 - Heading Home

Guest blog post on the departure day of an August 2023 stay. She was glad her party stayed in the lodge cabins rather than the cheaper platform tents, which were a hike from the lodge and would have meant cooking their own food. She mentions that the owner Brandon recommended a walk to a hilltop overlooking the lake. She says they weren't told much about how departure morning would work. She calls the trip full of great memories and mentions that more tips were handled via envelopes.

This lodge

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Amy L Peterson Oct 1, 2023

Blog

Fishing at Cree Lake Lodge, Saskatchewan, Canada - Day 4, August 2023

Guest blog post about a August 2023 stay. On day 4 a member of her party landed a 48-inch pike, his largest ever, and she reports plenty of lake trout action near the lodge. Guests congratulated him back at the lodge. She describes a fun, successful fishing day.

This lodge

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Dwayne D Aug 8, 2023

Google

Good fishing, good hosts, good guides, just plain good all around.

This lake

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Randy J Jan 5, 2023

Google

Best fishing ever

This lake

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John Cleveland Jan 1, 2018

Blog

Bountiful Fall Fishing Cree Lake Lodge

MidWest Outdoors magazine trip report (January 2018 issue) on a five-day September stay. Despite cold fronts and unstable weather, the writer's group of eight boated hundreds of 10-18 lb pike and more than 85 pike over 40 inches, including a 50-inch pike. They also landed lake trout up to about 40 lb. He praises the quality of the fishing and says the Schreiber family's hospitality, the comfortable facilities and the great food made it one of his most enjoyable weeks at a wilderness fishing camp.

This lodge

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Gary

Blog

Canadian Ice Fishing Lodge Experience

Interview posted on the lodge's blog with a Canadian angler who has been to Cree Lake four times and is booked for a fifth. He says the pike and lake trout fishing at Cree Lake Lodge is second to none, and that the size of the fish is what draws his group back. He describes ice fishing there, including breakfast in the lodge kitchen and an 8-mile snowmobile ride to the fishing spot, and calls it an affordable way to have that experience.

This lodge

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Josh Nugent (Out Fly Fishing, Calgary)

Blog

Self Guided Fishing Trips in Canada: What's it like?

Interview posted on the lodge's blog with a pike-fishing guide who brought a group on a self-guided trip, staying in the lodge's accommodations and guiding themselves. He says they measured fish carefully (in the water for fish over 46 inches) and lost count of the 40-45 inch fish after the first hour. They landed three 48-inch pike. He describes the fish as abnormally large compared with most fisheries.

This lodge

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Steve Phillips

Outfitter

Fantastic. I have been to 15 lodges in Canada. Cree lake is hands down THE BEST! Fishing is the best and the staff are the best.

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What's Included

Included

Charter flight from Fort McMurray and return; cabin accommodation (sleeping 4-6) with power and running water; kitchen with fridge, freezer, propane stove, oven, BBQ, utensils and linens; private bathroom with shower and linens; light housekeeping; 16' boat with floor and daily fuel.

Not Included

Saskatchewan fishing license; food/groceries; travel from home to Fort McMurray and back; gratuity (appreciated, not expected); optional add-ons (Buffalo Narrows travel, guide services, depth and fish finder, 18' boat upgrade, pre-shopped groceries, additional fuel/extended time).