Fishing at Black Lake, Stony Rapids, Saskatchewan

• Overview

  Set in Stony Rapids, Black Lake is a Saskatchewan water. The surface lies 276 metres up. This is big water, about 443.84 sq km, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. The bank is deeply indented, so shelter is easy to find in any wind. On our Stony Rapids list it sits near the top for size. The town to know is Fort Smith, 384 km out. Buffalo Narrows is 418 km and Fort McMurray 454 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Black Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Stony Rapids cover cisco, northern pike and round whitefish. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Black Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -25°C in January and 15°C in July. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late May. Open water usually runs from late May until about early November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Black Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Eisenhauer Lake is 17 km off. Signs at Black Lake carry more weight than any list.