Tucked along the shores of Wakaw Lake in the Rural Municipality of Hoodoo No. 401, this small resort village sits within Census Division No. 15 in central Saskatchewan. It lies on Highway 41, roughly 86 kilometres north-east of Saskatoon and about 63 kilometres south of Prince Albert, placing it within comfortable reach of two of the province’s larger centres. The name itself has roots in the Cree language, with “Wakaw” meaning “crooked” – a reference to the shape of the lake the community is named after. The resort village was officially incorporated on October 21, 1959.
Despite its small footprint of just 0.61 square kilometres, Wakaw Lake maintains a modest but consistent presence as a lakeside community. The 2021 census recorded a population of 66 residents living in 39 of the village’s 140 private dwellings, reflecting a slight decline from the 72 residents counted in 2016. That 2016 figure itself represented a striking 140% increase from the 2011 population of just 30 people, suggesting the community saw a notable surge in residents during that period. The population density in 2021 stood at approximately 108 people per square kilometre. Wakaw Lake is governed by an elected municipal council supported by an appointed administrator, with Mayor Maurice Rivard and Administrator Pamela Hilkewich leading local governance.