Just over an hour southwest of Edmonton, Pigeon Lake is a go-to spot for people looking for an easy escape from the city. The lake is surrounded by sandy beaches, forested campgrounds and quaint lakeside communities. You can camp, boat, fish, hike, and relax by the water without going far from home.
Pigeon Lake Provincial Park is one of the most popular places to enjoy it. The park sits on the lake’s western shore and has two campgrounds, a sandy beach and day-use area, playgrounds, a boat launch and well-maintained hiking trails.
Unfortunately, like many Alberta lakes, Pigeon Lake can experience toxic blue-green algae (cyanobacterial) blooms. When this happens and you can’t go in the water, your plans can change quickly. So what do you do when there’s a blue-green algae bloom at Pigeon Lake?
Don’t go home yet! The algae blooms are a bummer, but there are still plenty of things to do and enjoy in this park without getting in the water. Camping, hiking, biking, picnicking and fishing can still help you make the most of your day or weekend outdoors. Plus, clean, clear, swimmable lakes are within 20 minutes of the park.
We were at Pigeon Lake Provincial Park recently, and it was at the tail end of an algae bloom. The water wasn’t bright green, but it wasn’t a place you’d want to go swimming. So our plans changed, but we still had a fun, memorable weekend away.
The Cree name for Pigeon Lake is Mîmîw Sâkahikan, which translates to “Pigeon Lake” or “Dove Lake.”
Located in Treaty 6, Pigeon Lake has been a traditional gathering place for Indigenous peoples, including Cree, Nakoda and Blackfoot nations for thousands of years. Several First Nations still live on the lake today. The lake is and was used for fishing, hunting and seasonal camps. The northwest shore of the lake still has trails that Indigenous groups travelled hundreds of years ago.
Things to Do at Pigeon Lake Provincial Park
Algae or not, there’s plenty to do at this park. Here are a few things we did during our visits.
Camping
The park has two provincial campgrounds: Zeiner Campground on the northwest shore and the main Pigeon Lake Provincial Park Campground. Both offer forested sites near the lake, suitable for tents and RVs. Together, they offer 350 campsites, including group-use areas and fully furnished comfort yurts.
We stayed at the main campground, and it was really nice! The sites were large, surrounded by mixed forest, and spaced a decent distance apart. Each camping loop has drinking water and a washroom with running water and flush toilets, except for loop E, which has pit toilets. A central shower house is also available for everyone.
All the loops are a short walk to the shoreline via wide, well-maintained trails. They’re also a short distance from firewood sales, playgrounds, hiking trails and picnic sites. You could easily spend a weekend relaxing in this campground.
Learn more about camping at Pigeon Lake.
Hiking and Biking
About 12 km of hiking and biking trails are available, accessible from the day-use area or campground. They’re wide, well-maintained and weave through forests, meadows and along the lakeshore.
They’re all fairly short, easy and well-suited for families with young children. However, you could combine two or three loops to make for a longer hike. For our hike, we combined the Lakeshore Trail with the Little Brown Bat Loop and the 2 km trail that followed along the backside of the campground loops. Altogether, it was about 4 km.
View the Pigeon Lake Provincial Park trail map.
Beaches, Playgrounds and Picnics.
The day-use area has a really great playground, a large grassy area and several picnic sites with campfire pits. It is next to the main beach and near the boat launch. Many families use this area for a day trip. Kids can play on the playground, ride bikes on the nearby trails, and build sandcastles on the beach.
When there isn’t blue-green algae here, this is where you want to spend your swimming and beach day. The beach has soft golden sand, picnic tables and nearby washrooms.
Canoeing and Kayaking
Pigeon Lake is a small lake with lots of little coves and secluded shorelines that make for good paddling. For a wilder experience, paddle north from the day-use area and enjoy the shoreline within the park. Go south if you want to check out lakeside cabins and homes.
Pigeon Lake is smaller, so it often has calm days on the water. If the wind picks up, stay close to shore, and you should be okay. You can launch a kayak or canoe at the boat launch or the day-use beach.
Boating
Boating is a popular activity here, regardless of the algae. Often, if there is a bloom at one end of the lake where the wind is blowing, the other end is safe and clear! As long as you cannot see an active bloom, it’s okay for tubing, skiing and other watersports.
When we were there, the boat launch parking lot was full of trucks and empty trailers, with their owners out on the water enjoying the day. It was late in the season, so most of them were out fishing.
Fishing
Pigeon Lake Provincial Park is a hot spot for anglers. As mentioned, those with boats make good use of the boat launch. They also have floating docks for fishing and year-round access to this side of the lake. When we were there, we watched someone pull in a large northern pike while fishing off the dock. Pigeon Lake offers productive fishing for walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, burbot and lake whitefish.
Note: An Alberta Fishing License, along with a Wildlife Identification Number are required for most adults ages 16-64 to fish here. Please check recent fishing regulations.
You can safely fish here, even with blue-green algae. If you choose to keep the fish, only eat boneless fillets that have been properly cleaned and do not eat any internal organs.
Wildlife and Bird Watching
We visited Pigeon Lake in September, and it was teeming with bird life! Hundreds of birds, of many different species, flitted throughout the forest. September is a peak period for fall migration, when many birds and waterfowl use the area as a stopover.
Many wintering birds were there as well, likely attracted by the abundance of food sources. This spring, Pigeon Lake was crawling with tent caterpillars, and I wonder if that attracted the birds for the season.
We also saw a phenomenon at the water. Entire schools of minnows leaped out of the water at once and skipped along the surface. Hundreds of tiny fish jumped out in unison. I learned later that they were likely avoiding a predatory northern pike, or several pike. These fish lay low in the reeds and ambush schools of minnows, sometimes causing them to jump out of the water.
Swimming at Twin Lakes
Twin Lakes Park is located about 20 minutes southeast of Pigeon Lake Provincial Park. This tiny lake is deep, cool and has remarkably clear water. If you’re staying at Pigeon Lake on a hot day and really want to go for a swim, this is your best option!
The County of Wetaskiwin operates Twin Lakes, which is open from mid-May to late September. It offers a beach, docks (including one you can swim off), pit toilets, and self-serve paddle rentals from our friends at West Country Rentals. No motorized boats are allowed on the lake, which makes it more peaceful for swimmers and stand-up paddleboarders.
Get Directions
Visit the Village at Pigeon Lake
The Village at Pigeon Lake in Westerose is about a 10-minute drive from Pigeon Lake Provincial Park. It’s a cute little town centre for all the summer communities here, and worth a pop in during your visit. It has a few restaurants, a brewpub, an ice cream shop, clothing stores and gift shops.
There is also a small grocery store you can stop into for any forgotten groceries and supplies, and a gas station to fuel up after your trip. Our favourite stop is the Holey Grail Donuts & Bakery, which specializes in daily, freshly baked donuts.
Know before you go
What’s the deal with blue-green algae?
Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) is naturally occurring, and a bloom is when it grows massively in a short period of time. It’s typically blue-green, bright green, or brown-green, but it can also be pink or red. It can look like scum, streaks of colour, little grass clippings, fuzzy balls or pea soup (gross).
Blooms are much worse when water is exposed to pollutants from farm fertilizers, animal manure, lawn care, and leaking sewage from septic systems. Basically, this overloads the water with nutrients and acts as a powerful fertilizer for the algae. Blooms happen more frequently in warm weather because it gives the blue-green algae what it needs for rapid growth.
Why is it bad for you?
Cyanobacteria is toxic when you come into contact with or ingest it. It can cause skin irritation, rash, sore throat, sore eyes, fever, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms are worse for children and can be fatal for pets.
That’s why, if there is an active bloom, you should avoid swimming, wading, and playing in the affected water. Never drink it, keep your dogs away from it, and if you’re fishing, don’t eat the whole fish. Instead, clean and fillet it properly to ensure it is safe to eat.
What if there is an advisory, but I can’t see it at the beach?
When Alberta Health Services posts a blue-green algae advisory for a lake, it stays posted for the remainder of the season. However, water conditions can change daily depending on the area, wind and weather. AHS says, “Waters in Pigeon Lake in which the cyanobacterial bloom is NOT visible can still be used for recreational purposes, even while this Health Advisory is in place.”
If you can’t see it, it’s safe to go swimming. If you see an advisory at the start of the summer, don’t get too bummed out. Conditions can change, even if the advisory stays up. Read more about the advisory and how to identify a blue-green algae bloom.
Plan your trip to Pigeon Lake Provincial Park
Camping
If you want to camp here, you must reserve in advance. Camping is available seasonally at Zeiner Campground and year-round at the Main Campground. Book online.
Prepare for Bugs
Pigeon Lake is a natural area and home to many bugs and insects. This season, they had quite a few tent caterpillars in the spring and midgets and mosquitoes in the summer. Insect conditions change with the season and are different every year. Bring bug spray, a Thermacell, and set your bug expectations.
Check for Advisories
You can find park advisories by visiting Advisories and Closures on their website. This section will tell you of water-quality advisories and construction happening in the park, boat launch status and other important information.
Getting there
Pigeon Lake is located in Wetaskiwin County, about an hour’s drive from South Edmonton. The most straightforward route from Edmonton is to drive south on Highway 2 and turn onto Highway 13 West. From there, turn north onto AB-771 to reach Pigeon Lake Provincial Park.
