Chord Lake, Saskatchewan: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Within Leask No. 464, Saskatchewan, you have Chord Lake. The ground around here is taiga. Roughly 19 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The edge runs 2.1 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Shellbrook lies 37 km from the water. The big place round here is Saskatoon, 113 km distant. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Chord Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. 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. Across Leask No. 464, recorded fish include northern pike and walleye. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Chord Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -17°C in January up to 17°C in July. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Chord Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. This one is mapped as intermittent, so a wasted trip is a real risk in a dry year. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Kay Lakes sits 2.2 km off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Chord Lake before loading the car.