Crystal Lodge Cree Lake, SK

Location Overview:
Crystal Lodge sits on Ispatinow Island, the largest island in Cree Lake, deep in Saskatchewan's Northern Administration District within the Canadian Shield. Cree Lake is a large glacial lake located west of Reindeer Lake and south of Lake Athabasca, with no highway access, so the lodge is reachable only by floatplane or aircraft landing at one of its two adjacent airstrips.

Camping & Recreation:
The lodge offers private cabins and walled tents suitable for family trips or fishing excursions, with each cabin accommodating four to six guests and including modern conveniences such as running water and electricity. Guests fish from a fleet of 16' and 18' aluminum boats with floors, casting decks, and 30-50hp motors, targeting trophy northern pike, lake trout, walleye, and Arctic grayling across the lake's vast waters. Onsite amenities also include a firepit area for evening gatherings.

Notes & Warnings:
The lodge maintains its own gravel/clay land strip, officially Cree Lake/Crystal Lodge (Midgett Field) Aerodrome, identifier CKS8, plus a separate water aerodrome (CRE4) for floatplanes. The land strip benefits from naturally occurring clay soil, which made grading a runway feasible. Pilots should arrange landing details directly with the lodge in advance, particularly given the remote, fly-in-only nature of the site and the need to coordinate fuel, parking, and accommodation logistics. Aircraft of various sizes—from Bonanzas and Stinsons to Pipers and Cessnas—have used the strip historically.

History:
Crystal Lodge has operated as a fly-in fishing camp since the 1960s, making it one of the longer-standing wilderness lodges on Cree Lake. Its airstrip was constructed in the early 1990s, taking advantage of the island's naturally occurring clay soil to create the roughly 3,185-foot runway. Cree Lake itself has a longer aviation and settlement history beyond the lodge: in the 1970s the lake hosted a weather station and a government-operated airfield near Cable Bay, as well as a radio station on Turner Island, reflecting the region's role in northern Saskatchewan's development. Today the lodge continues that legacy as a seasonal hub for anglers and recreational pilots alike.