Lake Diefenbaker was formed by the construction of the Gardiner Dam and Qu'Apelle River Dam across the South Saskatchewan and Qu'Appelle Rivers. Construction began in 1959 and the lake was filled in 1967. It is the largest body of water in southern Saskatchewan.
Lake Diefenbaker has abundant opportunities for water sports. The water quality is excellent in this area. Lake Diefenbaker is home to 26 native and stocked species of fish. Common fishing species include Walleye, Northern Pike, Sauger, Bourbot, Perch, Whitefish, Goldeye, and Rainbow Trout!
Within the past 10 years, there have been 3 World Record-breaking catches on the lake: a 43 lbs Rainbow Trout in 2007, a 48 lbs Rainbow Trout in 2009, and a 25 lbs Burbot in 2010, all caught by Sean and Adam Konrad of Saskatoon. Here is a link to the Trophy Trout Guide article about Adam & Sean's account of the World Record Trout and some pictures.
In 2014, Jon Ganshorn of Saskatoon caught a record-breaking 13.3 lbs. Walleye spearfishing. The fishing on Lake Diefenbaker is great in both summer and winter.
There are many four-season recreational activities including fishing (ice fishing), hunting, quading, horseback riding, wildlife and nature viewing (wildlife, birds, wild flowers) and much more.
A wide variety of wildlife can be found in various parts of Lake Diefenbaker, including moose, whitetail & mule deer, elk, antelope, coyote, fox, snowy owls, ruffled grouse, Hungarian partridge, snow geese, Canada geese, hawks, and the largest duck population on the continent. Great opportunities for wildlife photographers and hunters.
Conrad Andres put together a map that shows all of the bays, launches, and other aspects of Lake Diefenbaker. He pulled data from the 1997 Lake Diefenbaker Cruising Guide and Google Earth.
Gardiner Dam officially opened in 1967 and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017. It still remains one of the largest earth filled dams in the world. The dam measures 5000 meters long, 65 meters high and discharges 7500 cubic meters of water per second! The water passes through a kilometer long spillway.
The Coteau Creek Power Station offers self guided and guided tours in the summer.
The Visitor's Centre is open from May to September. It offers visual displays on the dam, souvenirs, and a vintage film on the construction of the dam.
Beachside Burgers at the Pavillion overlooking Lake Diefenbaker offers delicious hot meals and ice cream! Hungry on the boat? You can order online!
Danielson Provincial Park features camping and Beachside Burgers where visitors learn about the Gardiner Dam project through displays and the museum. The café offers seasonal restaurant service, concession, and ice cream for a hot day. It has a small gift shop and public washroom. The park has extensive trails including the Trans Canada Trail on the east portion of the park. Another looped nature trail with easy access to the campground has been added. The Danielson Provincial Park boat launch is 1 km from Sandy Shores Resort. Adjacent sandy beaches are near the Pavilion. You can call the Visitor's Centre at 306-857-5500
Douglas Provincial Parkoffers un-serviced seasonal camping. Plenty of water recreational activites including swimming, sailing, skiing, angling, and windsurfing are available. Take a hike though 27 km of desert-like trails with patches of juniper and cacti. One of the park's best-kept secrets is a huge sand dune on the northeast sector that rises 30 meters above the surrounding prairie and stretches more than a kilometer in length. Explore a habitat packed with moose, whitetail and mule deer, squirrel, rabbit, and over 170 bird species.
Palliser Regional Parkoffers non-serviced and full service campsites. This family friendly park has an outdoor swimming pool, concession, golf course, and much more. A great place for swimming, boating, and fishing. Rusty's Coulee Marina offers bait, fishing licenses, groceries and a first class boat launch, not to mention a place to store your boat. The park holds a farmers market on sundays throughout July and August and a Lions Pancake Breakfast every Sunday. The Mainstay Inn offers hotel/motel, cabin rentals and fine dining, including a locally famous Sunday Brunch and Sunday Buffet. The Eric Kurz Memorial Nature Trail provides plenty of opportunities to view the various flora and fauna.
Outlook & District Regional Park is great for all season outdoor activities. In the summer, experience boating and fishing, and in the winter you can go cross-country skiing and tobogganning. With the traffic bridge to the south and the walking bridge to the north, it is a picturesque site. The park is a great place for family reunions, weekend getaways, or summer camping. Outlook is also home to the SkyTrail (currently closed), the longest pedestrian bridge in Canada.
The Riverhurst Ferry is the largest ferry in Saskatchewan. It can carry up to 15 cars on each crossing. The ferry is free and runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during the spring, summer and fall months. In the winter, the ferry shuts down as the lake freezes over. Once the ice reaches a certain level of thickness, an Ice Road Crossing is created and maintained by the Dept. of Highways. To confirm the ferry is open, call 1-306-353-6250
The ferry connects Riverhurst on the east bank to Lucky Lake on the west bank. This is how Highway 42 crosses Lake Diefenbaker. The distance across is approx. 1.5 km. The ferry crosses hourly, departing from the east side on the hour and on the half-hour from the west side. During the night, the ferry operates on demand.
Some tourists like to tour the Riverhurst Ferry-Gardiner Dam loop to get a good view of scenery around Lake Diefenbaker and area. It takes almost 2 hours to do the full loop, and make sure that you time the ferry correctly depending on which direction you go!
Sandy Shores Resort was awarded a $40,000 grant from the Trans Canada Trail Capital Improvement Plan to create the trails with the development to connect to the Trans Canada Trail, one of the world's longest networks of multi-use recreational trails. The trails are now complete and can be used for walking, hiking, jogging, and bicycling.
Chief Whitecap Waterway is SK only Trans Canada Water Trail and offers rest areas along the South Sask River Chief Whitecap Waterway
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