Fishing Cache Lake in Loon Lake No. 561, Saskatchewan

• Overview

  In Saskatchewan, Cache Lake falls inside Loon Lake No. 561. The bank is 615 metres above sea level. At some 1.68 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. At about 5.8 km of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Lloydminster at 71 km is the nearest place to stop. Edmonton sits 263 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Cache Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Loon Lake No. 561 records list northern pike, yellow perch, Iowa darter, lake whitefish and walleye among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read Cache Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -17°C in January and 16°C in July. A short, intense season is the rule this far north. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. On average, late April opens the water and mid November closes it again. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Cache Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Little Fishing Lake at 4.9 km is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Cache Lake.