Sylvan Lake is a large lake

Lake

A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

 in central Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. The resort town of Sylvan Lake

Sylvan Lake, Alberta

Sylvan Lake is a town in central Alberta, Canada. It is located west of the City of Red Deer along Highway 11 or Highway 11A. It is situated on the southeast edge of Sylvan Lake, a long freshwater lake, in Red Deer County....

 is established on the shores of the lake, west of the city of Red Deer

Red Deer, Alberta

Red Deer is a city in Central Alberta, Canada. It is located near the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor and is surrounded by Red Deer County. It is Alberta's third-most-populous city – after Calgary and Edmonton. The city is located in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills...

.

Sylvan Lake is a mesotrophic lake with a total area of 42.8 km² (16.5 sq mi), and a maximum depth of 18.3 m (60 ft). It lies at an elevation of 974 m (3,195.5 ft).

Development and conservation

The town of Sylvan Lake is built on the southern shore. Other smaller communities around the lake are Sunbreaker Cove

Sunbreaker Cove, Alberta

Sunbreaker Cove is a summer village in Alberta, Canada. It is located on the northern shore of Sylvan Lake.-Demographics:In 2006, Sunbreaker Cove had a population of 137 living in 216 dwellings, a 59.3% increase from 2001. The summer village has a land area of and a population density of ....

, Birchcliff

Birchcliff, Alberta

Birchcliff is a summer village in Alberta, Canada. It is located on the eastern shore of Sylvan Lake, south of Jarvis Bay Provincial Park and is administered by Lacombe County.-Demographics:...

, Crystal Springs

Crystal Springs, Alberta

Crystal Springs is a summer village in Alberta, Canada. It is located on the South East shores of Pigeon Lake, north of Highway 13. The community borders the Village at Pigeon Lake to the South.-Demographics:...

, Norglenwold

Norglenwold, Alberta

Norglenwold is a summer village in central Alberta, Canada. It is located on the southeast shore of Sylvan Lake adjacent to the Town of Sylvan Lake.- Demographics :...

, Half Moon Bay

Half Moon Bay, Alberta

Half Moon Bay is a summer village in Alberta, Canada. It is located on the western shore of Sylvan Lake, near Sylvan Lake Provincial Park.-Demographics:In 2006, Half Moon Bay had a population of 32 living in 60 dwellings, a -13.5% increase from 2001...

 and Jarvis Bay

Jarvis Bay, Alberta

Jarvis Bay is a summer village in Alberta, Canada. It is located on the eastern shore of Sylvan Lake, in Jarvis Bay Provincial Park.-Demographics:...

.

Sylvan Lake is one of the most popular recreational areas in Alberta, with over 1.5 million visitors per year. Water based recreational activities include boating

Boating

Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...

, dragon boat

Dragon boat

A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft traditionally made, in the Pearl River delta region of southern China - Guangdong Province, of teak wood to various designs and sizes. In other parts of China different woods are used to build these traditional watercraft...

 racing, swimming, windsurfing

Windsurfing

Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...

, water skiing

Water skiing

thumb|right|A slalom skier making a turn on a slalom waterski.Waterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.-History:...

 in summer and ice fishing

Ice fishing

Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...

, skating

Ice skating

Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...

 and snowmobiling

Snowmobile

A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...

 during the winter months. Wild Rapids Waterslides, one of the largest waterslide parks in Alberta, is located here.

Sylvan Lake Provincial Park

Sylvan Lake Provincial Park

Sylvan Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in central Alberta, Canada.It is located immediately north from the town of Sylvan Lake, in the western shore of Sylvan Lake...

 and Jarvis Bay Provincial Park

Jarvis Bay Provincial Park

Jarvis Bay Provincial Park is a provincial park in Alberta, Canada, located north from Sylvan Lake and west from Red Deer, along Highway 20.The park is situated on the eastern shores of Sylvan Lake, at an elevation of and has a surface of...

are established on the western and eastern shores respectiely.