The creation of Codette Lake submerged Bushfield Flats, which was an important site for First Nations and an historic trading post. The lake's northern shoreline is in the RM of Torch River No. 488 while the southern shore is in the RM of Nipawin No. 487.[7]
Bushfield Flats
The Bushfield Flats, which were submerged under Codette Lake when the dam was built, was an important site for local Indians and the site of the trading post built by James Finaly and Francois LeBlanc in 1768. The Francois-Finlay Dam was named after the pair. The flats were directly upstream from the current site of the dam on a peninsula that jutted out into the Saskatchewan River. These flats were the original "meeting place" for the town of Nipawin's namesake. The flats were named after William Bushfield, a local farmer. Prior to the flooding of the lake in 1986, there were two archaeological digs there. The West Site had a pre-historic Cree encampment while the East Site showed evidence "that the area had been an important Indian stopover for centuries".[8][9][10] Bushfield's Landing — a marina located on the lake's southern shore — is near the original site.
About 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of Nipawin along Highway 35 is Francois Finlay Hydroelectric Dam Vista Viewpoint. The viewpoint is on a plateau and has views of Codette Lake, the dam and power station, and the gorge.[12]
On the southern shore of the lake, about 11.5 kilometres (7.1 mi) west of Codette, is Smit's Campground and Blue Winds Fish n' Tours. Access is from Highway 789.[13][14][15]
