Lac La Ronge

Lac La Ronge is a large Precambrian Shield lake scattered with more than a thousand islands, rock, jack pine and black spruce, and it is the centre of the largest provincial park in Saskatchewan. Nistowiak Falls, about ten metres, drops where the Rapid River enters the Churchill system and is reached by boat with a portage; it is generally considered the finest waterfall in the province. Holy Trinity Anglican Church at Stanley Mission, built between 1854 and 1860, is the oldest standing building in Saskatchewan, with stained glass shipped from England around the Hudson Bay route. The lake is a well-known walleye and northern pike fishery.

What you actually see

• The island lake - over a thousand rock and pine islands.
• Nistowiak Falls - a boat-and-portage waterfall on the Churchill system.
• Holy Trinity Stanley Mission - Saskatchewan's oldest building, from the 1850s.
• The fishery - walleye and pike water with a long outfitting tradition.

When to go

June to September for open water; ice fishing runs in winter with road access to the town. Mosquitoes and blackflies are heavy in June. Freeze-up and break-up close access for weeks.

Honest expectations

Nistowiak Falls needs a boat, a guide or an outfitter, plus a portage. Weather on a large Shield lake turns quickly and crossings can be dangerous. Services north of La Ronge are minimal.

Nearby

Prince Albert National Park lies southwest; the Churchill River runs north.