It’s time for another list of some of Fish’n Canada’s favourite locations. This one features Angelo and Pete’s favourite lakes that they have personally fished in the province of Saskatchewan. It’s a good list because it covers Lake Trout, Northern Pike, Walleye and Largemouth Bass— that’s right, there’s an unexploited Largemouth population in Saskatchewan that’s just waiting to be caught.
Just in case you wonder if Saskatchewan lakes have big fish, this western province has given the boys plenty to brag about in the trophy department (as you can see from the photos).
In alphabetical order:
Fish’n Canada’s Top 5 Saskatchewan Lakes for Giant Fish
Lake Athabasca
Lake Athabaska is a border lake between Saskatchewan and Alberta. It is a huge body of water and, thus, produces some fantastic catches of Northern Pike and Lake Trout every season.
The guys fished it back in early July of 2014, and they came back raving about it. Although the Lakers had moved deep by that time, the Pike were still in the back bays—and they were hungry!
Angelo shot an entire episode within a 100-yard stretch in one such back bay.
“It was pure heaven and mayhem at the same time,” remembers Ang. “It was like taking candy from a baby. Not that I’d do that!”
Pike and Lakers
Angelo tried a variety of standard Pike baits but settled on an unweighted soft Swimbait rigged weedless (he was mostly fishing Cabbage Weed).
Meanwhile, Pete was trolling up a mess of big Lake Trout out on the flats in around 40 feet of water. All of his fish were caught on Flatfish (Page 37 of linked catalogue) and Kiwkfish. We usually suggest big baits for big lakers, but on this trip, 4″ baits worked best.
All in all, it was a great shoot.
Here’s Ang’s Hotspot as well as Pete’s Hotspot.
Boundary Dam Reservoir
The saying “Thar’s gold in them thar hills” is a popular one, but for this section of this article, it would have to be changed to “Thar’s Largemouth in that place with no hills.”
When we first heard that Saskatchewan had a lake with Largemouth Bass, we had the “Yeah, whatever” attitude. Man, did we underestimate that one.
Boundary Dam Reservoir, near the city of Estevan, could be one of the premiere Largemouth Bass lakes in all of Canada. There are a few reasons why.
First off, areas of the lake have a year-round growing season for Largemouth. The only other place in Canada where that happens is British Columbia (Osoyoos Lake is a great example). Being able to grow at an ongoing rate becomes comparable to the growing season of Florida bass, for instance (fastest growing and largest of the species). The reason Boundary Dam Reservoir has such a growing season is the water temperatures are consistently warm due to the outflow of heated water from the local hydro plant. As long as this keeps running, the growing season will thrive. (However, we have heard news of at least part of the plant closing.)
Pete took along Canada In The Rough’s Keith Beasley on this trip as he and Angelo knew that Keith was a Bass fanatic.
Big Western Largemouth Bass
Pete and Keith ended up shooting two separate episodes in total contrasting fashion: one at the south end of the lake in lush weed beds, and the other at the north end, all near deep water. Both episodes are loaded with great Largemouth catches.
The preferred bait of the trip, you ask? The tried and true Jig & Pig was the weedy section killer while a Yamamoto Senko on a dropshot rig ruled in the deeper water.
If you want to visit a unique Largemouth fishery, Boundary Dam Reservoir is an absolute must.
Wanna know where Pete and Keith fished? The south-end Hotspot is here, and the north is here.
Last Mountain Lake
Last Mountain Lake is a beast of a lake with a length of 93 kilometres (58 miles). Interestingly, though, it has a width of just three kilometres (two miles). She’s a long and lean fish producing machine. It has an average depth of 35 metres (115 ft) and a maximum depth of 40 metres (130 ft)
We also featured this lake in our list of the Top 5 Canadian Walleye Lakes.
Since we talked Walleye before, this time we’ll take this opportunity to highlight the Northern Pike fishery this lake has to offer.
Because of its long thin shape, it sets up great for Pike. Any back bays will have ample Pike swimming about (especially early in the year), but look for the biggest bays you can find. The larger the bay, the more Pike that will be there and, usually, the larger the fish.
As summer progresses, look for main lake points and any cabbage weed beds that grow in 8+ feet of water. These can be dynamite!
Big Pike on Swimbaits
On the first trip here, Pete fished with local guide and expert Rob Schulz from G&S Marina & Outfitters, and they had phenomenal success.
“We got on a swimbait pattern and stayed on it for the entire trip,” says Pete.
“The odd time I’d fire out a suspending minnow bait for something different, but oddly enough, the giant Walleye would smash it before the Pike could get there!”
Big Hammer swimbaits were the brand of choice here, something that Rob swears by on this lake.
Big Hammerhead jig heads of at least ½ ounce are the best for open-hooked rigging.
MacGyvering for Short-Striking Pike
For their second outing, the weather patterns changed and the standard Swimbaits weren’t working. The boys had to makeshift a short-strike rig—and it worked!
Hotspot #1 was here, and Hotspot #2 was here.
CONTINUE TO PAGE 2 FOR THE LAST TWO FAVOURITE SASKATCHEWAN LAKES FOR GIANT FISH.