Candle Lake (Saskatchewan)
Candle Lake is a body of water in central Saskatchewan, approximately northeast of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. It is also the name of a resort village along the eastern shore of the lake, and of Candle Lake Provincial Park which encompasses much of the surrounding area. Candle Lake is a popular tourist destination in Western Canada and is located in the boreal forest biome. In addition to natural sand beaches, including Purple Sands Beach with vibrantly striped bands of sand in purple, magenta, and pink, the lake contains a number of sport fish species including northern pike, walleye, yellow perch, burbot, lake whitefish, white sucker, longnose sucker and shorthead redhorse. The lake takes its name from a Cree legend about flickering lights appearing near the north end of the lake, which have supposedly been seen right up to contemporary times. Some theorize that the lights are caused by a gas emitted from decaying driftwood, rather than having a paranormal origin.
The level in Candle Lake is regulated by a four-bay 3.1 m concrete dam, constructed in 1978-1979 and operated by the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority. The dam discharges into the Torch River.
